WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities how many officials employed by the Government Equalities Office, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Jo Swinson: The Government Equalities Office joined DCMS in September 2012. The Department’s database management system does not record this information in a way that can extract the information asked for. To identify this information for each employee would incur disproportionate cost. Pay awards for civil service departments are limited to an average of up to one percent of overall paybill costs.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Ministers for Women and Equalities how many contracts the Government Equalities Office (a) has let and (b) plan to let that are worth (i) between £1 million and £3 million and (i) over £3 million since 2010; how much the Government Equalities Office has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in the Government Equalities Office monitor each contract.

Jo Swinson: Since 2010 the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has not let any contracts between £1 million and £3 million and does not have any current plans to do so. The GEO has only let one contract over £3 million since 2010 and does not have any current plans of further contracts of this value. Monitoring of the contract, which is in relation to the Equalities Advisory Support Service, is undertaken alongside other duties by a small team of officials; there is no resource or budget solely for the monitoring of this contract.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what her Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in her Private Office.

Theresa Villiers: In line with the Conduct Policy, employees must report to work and remain in a fit and safe condition to undertake their duties throughout the working day. Employees must not consume alcohol at any time on work premises unless sanctioned by their line manager. Such sanction may be given, for example, for the Christmas reception hosted by my Private Office.

Business

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment the Joint Ministerial Task Force on Banking and Access to Finance has made of the effect in Northern Ireland of UK-wide interventions to promote business in Northern Ireland.

Theresa Villiers: The Joint Ministerial Task Force on Banking and Access to Finance, which I chair, has been encouraging greater Northern Ireland participation in UK-wide access to finance schemes.
	As reported in ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community: One Year On', UK Government schemes are having an increasing impact for businesses in Northern Ireland. The Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme delivered £5.1 million in 2013-14, an increase from the previous year and bringing total Northern Ireland funding from this scheme to £36.1 million. The Business Finance Partnership and Start-up Loans schemes have also delivered £2.4 million and £400,000 respectively in their first year in Northern Ireland. The Task Force will continue its work and will discuss the progress being made at its autumn meeting.
	I recently took part in a series of discussions in Belfast with banks active in Northern Ireland to encourage them to take part in schemes supported by the Business Bank and Invest NI.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels her Department funds.

Andrew Murrison: My Department funds the subscription to a weekly magazine entitled The Caterer to ensure industry standards on, for example, health and safety are adhered to. My Department does not subscribe to any television channels.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials employed by her Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Theresa Villiers: 37 Officials in my Department have remained at the same grade since 2010, broken down by grade as follows:
	SCS = 2,
	A = 4,
	B = 3,
	C = 7,
	D = 10,
	E = 8,
	F = 3.
	Home Civil Servants in Bands A-F in my Department follow MOJ terms and conditions, including pay. Accordingly NIO staff at these grades were subject to a three year pay freeze until August 2013 when a 1% pay rise was awarded in line with the Government’s directive on public sector pay.
	Staff at grades A-F who were rated as outstanding in their annual performance report for 2013 received a 2% pay rise. Given the small numbers who received an outstanding marking, it would not be appropriate to provide any further breakdown as to do so could risk the identification of the individuals concerned.
	Pay for SCS members of staff is regulated by the Senior Salaries Review Board. Neither of the two SCS in my Department, who have been here since 2010, has had a pay rise.
	This response does not cover Northern Ireland Civil Servants seconded to the NIO from NI departments as they remain on terms and conditions of their home department, including pay.

Space Technology: Conferences

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps her Department is taking to support the application of Northern Ireland to host the UK Space Conference in 2017.

Theresa Villiers: I am strongly supportive of efforts to develop the space economy in Northern Ireland and am keen to work with Northern Ireland Ministers to deliver growth in this important sector. The Space Agency has welcomed the proposal from Northern Ireland to host the UK Space Conference in 2017, which it will consider in due course alongside proposals for other potential venues, to ensure that they are in the best position to deliver a successful event.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many awaydays her Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Theresa Villiers: My Department has not held any awaydays for officials in (a) 2013 or (b) 2014 to date.

JUSTICE

Children: Maintenance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether courts link maintenance and contact with respect to children following the separation of the parents; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hughes: The payment of child maintenance and the operation of children arrangements are two separate issues which are both vitally important for separated parents. Children have a right to care and support and parents have a responsibility to provide it, regardless of whether they are separated. There is also great benefit to most children of continued contact with both parents, regardless of the financial circumstances. A dispute about child maintenance should not therefore deprive a child of meaningful contact with the other parent and vice-versa.
	The purpose of the child maintenance scheme is to make sure that parents fulfil their financial obligations to make provision for children with whom they no longer live. The Government believes that this is something parents should be able to manage for themselves through a family-based arrangement (in the vast majority of cases). The Department for Work and Pensions provides support to help them do so through the Child Maintenance Options Service, contactable on 0800-988-0988 or via:
	www.cmoptions.org
	The family courts deal with arrangements for children where parents have been unable to come to an agreement themselves. Here again, parents are encouraged to resolve their differences themselves. The Children and Families Act 2014 introduced, from April 2014, a legislative requirement on those who seek to issue certain family proceedings to first attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) to find out about family mediation. The other party is also expected to engage in the process.

Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what costs his Department incurred in relation to each stage of the judicial proceedings of the cases of (a) Christopher Huhne and (b) Vasiliki Pryce.

Shailesh Vara: The information required to provide a full response to the question could not be collated within the timeframe available. I will write to my hon. Friend.

Contact Orders

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what restrictions are placed on fathers who visit their children in contact centres.

Simon Hughes: Contact centres are intended to be enabling and supportive environments for fathers and mothers, which have children as their focus. Beyond the limitations of opening times, their volunteer nature and the facilities available, there are no intrinsic limits on what a contact centre can offer. Courts may place limits on the type of contact through court orders in which case the contact centre will encourage compliance with the order.
	The National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) operates separate standards for supervised and supported contact and these are published on their website at:
	http://www.naccc.org.uk/standards

Courts: Children

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many cases involving adults and children jointly charged, the child co-defendants were tried together with the adults in (a) an adult magistrates’ court and (b) a Crown court. [R]

Shailesh Vara: The vast majority of children and young people have their cases heard by specially trained magistrates in the Youth Court.
	Where a trial may involve both youth and adult co-defendants criminal courts must consider whether it is in the interests of justice to keep the defendants together and deal with them in the adult magistrates court or the Crown court. In reaching this decision, courts must take into account factors such as age, maturity, culpability, inconvenience to witnesses or injustice to the case as a whole, including whether there are benefits in the same tribunal sentencing all offenders.
	Overall crime is down and fewer young people are offending. Proven offending by under-18s has reduced by 44% since 2010-11, while the number of first time entrants to the system has fallen by 39% over the same period. The number of young people dealt with in the criminal courts has also fallen, reducing by 51% between 2010 and 2013.
	HMCTS do not centrally collate data on the number of young people and adults jointly charged and subsequently tried together.
	Table 1 shows the number of cases where a child or young person has been tried in (a) the adult magistrates court. A child or young person may only be tried in the adult magistrates courts where they are a co-defendant with an adult and the court has decided that it is in the interests of justice to keep the defendants together.
	
		
			 Table 1: Young people aged 10-17 tried at adult magistrates courts, England and Wales, 2010-13 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Number of young people tried at adult magistrates courts1, 2, 3, 4 10,401 10,667 5,463 5,702 
			 1 Excludes cases that were discontinued, where the charge was withdrawn, where the defendant failed to appear, and committals for trial to the Crown court. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 A child or young person may only be tried in the adult magistrates courts where they are a co-defendant with an adult and the court has decided that it is in the interests of justice to keep the defendants together. 4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the number of cases where there was at least one youth defendant and at least one adult defendant from 2009-10 to 2013-14 in (b) the Crown court.
	
		
			 Table 2: Young people aged 10-17 tried at the Crown court, England and Wales, 2009-13 
			  2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Number of young people tried at the Crown court1, 2 3,002 2,787 2,367 1,847 
			 1 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 2 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	We are considering the recommendations made by the recent inquiry by parliamentarians, chaired by Lord Carlile, including the recommendation concerning where cases involving children and young people are heard.

Courts: Fines

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice in how many and what proportion of all offences resulting in a court-issued fine the maximum fine was handed down in the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: Fines imposed in individual cases are entirely a matter for the independent courts within the limits set by Parliament and following any relevant sentencing guidelines. The law requires that the amount of any fine must reflect both the seriousness of the offence and the known financial circumstances of the offender. Fines imposed in the Crown Court are unlimited. In the magistrates courts the sentencing guidelines set the starting point for courts as a percentage of the offender’s “relevant weekly income” after tax and national insurance. In most cases these are 50%, 100% or 150% of this figure, depending on seriousness. For offenders with low incomes or on benefits their “relevant weekly income” is assumed to be £110. In the last five years 7,440 fines and 0.17% of all fines were at the statutory maximum in the magistrates courts. The proportion of all fines at the maximum rate rose from 0.06% in 2009 to 0.36% in 2013.

Custody

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of times fathers have had access to their children restricted in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what the reasons were for the restrictions; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Hughes: Details of the number of times fathers have had access to their children restricted in each of the last five years and the reasons for those restrictions are not held centrally and can be obtained only by manually checking every case file at disproportionate costs.

Detention Centres

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many Gold Suite openings there have been in each month since January 2010.

Shailesh Vara: It has not been possible to answer the question within the timeframe. I will write to the right hon. Member in due course.

Fines: Lancashire

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people were given a term of imprisonment by each magistrates' court in Lancashire for non-payment of fines in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody for non-payment of fines by each magistrates court in Lancashire is not available from information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Court Proceedings Database. In order to provide this information it would involve the manual checking of case files and to do so would be disproportionate to costs.
	HMCTS takes the issue of fine enforcement very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on fine defaulters is a continued priority nationwide. The courts have a range of powers to enforce payment of fines, including the use of bailiffs to seize goods, and deductions from earnings or benefits. Ultimately, an offender can be imprisoned for non-payment of their fine.
	Over recent years we have overseen improvements to the collection of financial penalties. There was a total of £290 million collected against fines and related impositions in 2013-14 which was a record high.

Food: Hygiene

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many businesses have been convicted under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 in each magistrates' court in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: The number of offenders that are companies or organisations found guilty at each magistrates court in the Lancashire police force area for offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 from 2009 to 2013 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Offenders1 found guilty at magistrates court in the Lancashire police force area, for offences under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006, 2009-132, 3 
			 Court 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 East Lancashire LJA 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Fylde Coast LJA 1 2 1 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Preston LJA 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale LJA 0 0 0 1 0 
			 1 Offender is recorded as ‘other’ (company, organisation etc). 2 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services: Ministry of Justice.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been made redundant by Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in each year since the foundation of HMCTS; and what the cost of redundancies at HMCTS was in each of those years.

Shailesh Vara: I can confirm that there have been no compulsory redundancies in HMCTS since its foundation in April 2011. There have been voluntary departures agreed in HMCTS since April 2011, as detailed in the HMCTS Financial Statement of Accounts. The number and cost of these voluntary departures are detailed below:
	
		
			  Number of voluntary departures agreed Cost (£) 
			 2011-12 1,268 54,817,000 
			 2012-13 408 22,259,000 
			 2013-14 73 3,087,000 
			 Up to 31 May 2014 0 0

Minimum Wage

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employment tribunals have taken place relating to under-payment of the minimum wage in (a) 2013-14 and (b) each of the previous five financial years; and how many such tribunals found in favour of the employee.

Shailesh Vara: The National Minimum Wage jurisdiction relates to suffering a detriment and or/dismissal related to failure to pay the minimum wage or allow access to records. The data is given in the following table. This information is published in Tribunals Statistics Quarterly, available at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014
	
		
			 Employment Tribunals involving National Minimum Wage, 2009-10 to 2013-14 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Total Employment Tribunals disposed 112,364 122,792 110,769 107,420 148,387 
			 Claims involving the National Minimum Wage jurisdiction 414 599 520 496 381 
			 Proportion of National Minimum Wage claims that were successful at hearing (percentage) 12 13 15 15 17

Open Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many indeterminate sentence prisoners have spent time in open prisons in the year ending 31 March (a) 2012, (b) 2013 and (c) 2014;
	(2)  what the (a) average, (b) maximum and (c) minimum time spent in an open prison was for indeterminate sentence prisoners before their release in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: An indeterminate sentence prisoner will be transferred to open conditions only upon a positive recommendation from the independent Parole Board following a full risk assessment or, exceptionally, without a recommendation from the Parole Board where a prisoner can show exceptional progress. The Justice Secretary recently announced that any prisoner with an abscond history on their current sentence will not be eligible for return to open conditions other than in wholly exceptional circumstances.
	While the National Offender Management Service records the number of indeterminate sentence prisoners transferred into open conditions each year, its case management systems do not report on the total number of indeterminate sentence prisoners who spend time in open conditions in the course of a calendar year; neither do they provide data on the average, maximum and minimum time they spend in open conditions. In order to provide this information, officials would be required to undertake a manual interrogation of case management systems. Such an exercise would incur disproportionate cost.

Open Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the least amount of time spent in an open prison by a prisoner was before (a) absconding and (b) breaching prison regulations in each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: To answer either part of this question it is necessary to look at the record of every prisoner who has been in an open prison and either absconded or breached prison disciplinary regulations in the last five years, in order to identify the date of transfer to open conditions and make a calculation. This could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.
	Figures for the number of absconds, by prison, since 1995 are provided in the Prison Digest contained in the Prison and Probation Trusts Performance Statistics. This can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225234/prison-performance-digest-12-13.xls

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Shailesh Vara: In the emergency budget on 22 June 2010 the Chancellor announced that the Civil Service, alongside the wider public sector, would be subject to a two year pay freeze from 2011-12, with those earning a full-time equivalent salary of £21,000 or less seeing an increase of at least £250, subject to continuing to make progression payments where these were contractual. In the 2011 autumn statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that public sector pay awards will average at 1% for the two years following the pay freeze.
	The pay freeze took effect in MOJ (excluding NOMS) from August 2011 and MOJ exited the pay freeze on 1 August 2013. MOJ's pay arrangements from August 2013 target actions at the most pressing issues to ensure our proposals remain affordable within the 1% public sector pay cap while aiming to reward high performers, better enable recruitment and talent retention, and protect the lowest paid staff by improving their starting salaries.
	NOMS have separate pay bargaining arrangements, linked to the Prison Service Pay Review Body. From 2010-11 to 2011-12 under the pay freeze NOMS were unable to increase the pay scales within its structures. However, NOMS has continued to honour annual pay progression increases for eligible staff (those who have not reached the maxima of the pay scale).
	In 2012, the Prison Service Pay Review Body and the Government endorsed NOMS' proposals to invest into reforming pay structures so that they are more fair and sustainable going forward. The review of NOMS' pay structures is based on data about the wider labour market (i.e., how levels of pay in NOMS compares to public and private sector labour markets), cost of living and inflation. From April 2012 new employees into NOMS, transfers into NOMS from Other Government Departments and those moving within NOMS on promotion are subject to the new pay and grading structures; those moving within NOMS on level transfer have an option to move across to the new structures.
	The cost of providing information on the pay rise received by each official that has remained in grade and has received a pay rise in MOJ and NOMS would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Police: Trials

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many trials in each magistrates’ court in Lancashire cracked due to failure of police officers to attend court as witnesses between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014.

Shailesh Vara: Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on cracked trial hearings does not include details regarding the occupation of absent witnesses. It is not possible to separately identify trials which crack due to police officers failing to attend court as witnesses. This information could be obtained from the individual courts only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Accommodation

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the certified normal accommodation and operational capacity is planned to be for each prison establishment on 29 August 2014.

Shailesh Vara: Prison numbers fluctuate throughout the year and we have sufficient accommodation for the current and expected population
	Sensible measures have been taken to ensure that we will have sufficient capacity to deal with the projected level of the population. These measures include identifying additional places in prisons that can provide safe and decent conditions if required. This is a proportionate measure to ensure that we are able to hold all of those committed to custody by the courts.
	Decisions on the number of such spaces required and the effect this will have on each prison’s certified normal accommodation and operational capacity will depend on the current and projected prison population, including an assessment of the necessary margin to manage population fluctuations.
	Individual prison population and capacity information for every prison in England and Wales is published monthly on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-population-figures-2014
	We will end this Parliament with more adult male prison places than we inherited, more hours of work in prisons than we inherited, more education for young detainees than we inherited and a more modern, cost effective prison estate than we inherited.

Prison Sentences: Bradford

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of all sentences handed down at (a) Keighly Magistrates' Court and (b) Bradford Crown Court in each year since 2008 were custodial sentences.

Shailesh Vara: While crime is falling, offenders are now more likely to go to prison and for longer.
	The number and proportion of offenders sentenced to custodial sentences at magistrates courts within Keighley and Bradford local justice area(s) and Bradford Crown court from 2008 to 2013 can be viewed in the table.
	
		
			 The number and proportion of offenders sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence at magistrates courts within Keighley and Bradford local justice area(s)1 and Bradford Crown court2 from 2008 to 20133, 4 
			   2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 
			 Magistrates court        
			 All magistrates courts in Bradford and Keighley LJA Number sentenced immediate custody 404 287 385 344 389 400 
			  Custody rate5 3.3 2.6 3.5 4.3 4.7 4.2 
			         
			 Crown court        
			 Bradford Crown court Number sentenced immediate Custody 951 982 1116 1193 887 846 
			  Custody rate5 57.4 52.5 47.1 48.3 46.4 49.3 
			 1 As of 1 January 2012 Bradford LJA and Keighley LJA merged into Bradford and Keighley LJA. 2 Figures specific to Bradford Crown court. 3 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 5 The proportion of persons sentenced who are sentenced to immediate custody.

Prisoners

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to publish revised prison population projections.

Shailesh Vara: The Ministry of Justice publishes prison population projections annually as a National Statistic. The publication date for Prison Population Projections 2014–20 is 27 November 2014.

Prisoners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how old the oldest prison inmate in England and Wales is;
	(2)  how many prison inmates are aged (a) between 60 and 65, (b) between 66 and 70, (c) between 71 and 75, (d) between 76 and 80 and (e) over 80 years.

Shailesh Vara: Prison is the right place for serious, dangerous and persistent offenders. Since 2010, those who break the law are more likely to be sent to prison.
	Over the last 10 years the number of prisoners in England and Wales aged 60 and over has risen each year. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is working hard to ensure that prisons are equipped to meet the needs of this group, including through the commissioning of health and social care services.
	The table below shows the population of prisoners by specified age groups in all prison establishments in England and Wales, from the most recent available data at the end of March 2014.
	Providing information on a single individual that is personal and potentially disclosive, such as the age of the oldest prisoner in England and Wales, would be contrary to our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998. There were, however, five prisoners aged 90 or over as of 31 March 2014.
	
		
			 Table 1: Prison population aged 60 and over, by age group, England and Wales, 31 March 2014 
			 Age Number 
			 60-65 1,791 
			 66-70 967 
			 71-75 489 
			 76-80 228 
			 Over age 80 102 
		
	
	
		
			 Total aged 60 and over 3,577 
			 Data Sources and Quality: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect on prison numbers of clause 25 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill.

Michael Penning: Knife crime is a scourge, and this Government has already introduced new offences of threatening with a knife in a public place or school in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. We are also legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions on the use of adult cautions for certain offences, which includes knife possession.
	Clause 25 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill was introduced by back bench amendment in the House of Commons. On the 17 June, the House of Commons passed the clause into the Bill at Report stage. The clause is now being considered in the House of Lords. We will publish an assessment of the impact of this clause on prison numbers, if it were to become law, in due course.

Prisoners' Release: Terrorism

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of terrorist-related offences have been released from prison each of the last five years.

Shailesh Vara: When released from prison, all prisoners convicted of terrorist-related offences released on licence are managed through Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). They will be risk assessed, monitored and supervised by Probation, Police and other agencies. Terrorist offenders subject to statutory probation supervision may also be required to comply with additional licence conditions to better manage any risk they pose.
	The release data available is extracted from the Home Office TACT bulletin which also includes data for Scotland. The earliest available data is 2010-11 and the figures provided in this answer include the England and Wales data only.
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010-11 35 
			 2011-12 44 
			 2012-13 39 
		
	
	The 2013-14 figures have yet to be published.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the total (a) population and (b) number of foreign nationals of each nationality was in each jail in London on 1 July (i) 2010, (ii) 2011, (iii) 2012, (iv) 2013 and (iv) 2014;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals in jails in London on 1 July (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014 (i) were on remand and (ii) have been found guilty of a criminal offence;
	(3)  what crimes foreign nationals in jails in London on 1 July (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012, (d) 2013 and (e) 2014 have been found guilty of committing.

Jeremy Wright: All FNOS given custodial sentences are referred to the Home Office for them to consider deportation at the earliest possible opportunity.
	Separate tables (tables 1-8) providing the data requested have been placed in the Library. Data has been provided as at 31 March for 2014, as this is the latest published data point. For 2010 to 2013 data has been provided as at 30 June for each year, as this is the closest available published data point.
	The number of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) deported under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) has increased under this Government. In 2013, we removed nearly 2,000 FNOs under ERS and under the Tariff Expired Removal Scheme (TERS), which we introduced in May 2012, we have removed over 240 FNOs to date.
	Whereas this Government has begun to reduce the foreign national population in prison since 2010, between 1997 and 2010, the number of foreign nationals in our prisons more than doubled.

Prisons: Business

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 30 June 2014, Official Report, column 396W, on prisons: business, what criteria each prison has to meet to be considered to have achieved Steady State.

Shailesh Vara: Prisons will be assessed as having achieved ‘Steady State’ when they are delivering the recommended benchmark ‘core day’, staffing profiles and regime, in compliance with arrangements formally agreed with trade unions.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the level of overcrowding was on the Prison Estate in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: There will always be enough prison places for those sent to prison by the courts and the Government continues to modernise the prison estate so that it delivers best value for the taxpayer. This Government has a long-term strategy for managing the prison estate which will provide more adult male prison capacity than we inherited from the previous Government.
	The average rate of crowding is published in the National Offender Management Service Annual Report and Accounts.
	Figures for the 10 years 2004-05 to 2013-14 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average rate of crowding (%) 
			 2004-05 24.3 
		
	
	
		
			 2005-06 24.0 
			 2006-07 24.6 
			 2007-08 25.3 
			 2008-09 24.7 
			 2009-10 24.1 
			 2010-11 23.8 
			 2011-12 24.1 
			 2012-13 23.3 
			 2013-14 22.9 
		
	
	In 2013-14, the average number of prisoners held in crowded conditions decreased to 22.9% of the total population compared to 23.3% in 2012-13. This is the lowest level since 2001-02 and has come down from a high of 25.3% in 2007-08.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much and what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be contracted out in 2014-15.

Shailesh Vara: The following table shows the amount and proportion of the Department’s budget spenton activities which were contracted out. We expect 2014-15 to follow the recent trends.
	
		
			  £ Percentage 
			 2009-10 3,011,688,897 40.50 
			 2010-11 2,762,309,003 42.04 
			 2011-12 2,514,513,933 40.24 
			 2012-13 2,371,593,459 38.55 
			 2013-14 2,301,260,824 39.19

Secondment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff have been seconded into his Department and its Executive agencies from (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Capita, (d) Working Links, (e) A4E, (f) Sodexo, (g) GEO Amey, (h) Mitie, (i) MTC Amey, (j) GEO Group, (k) Atos and (l) Carillion in each year since 2010; in which area of his Department such staff were seconded; how long each secondment lasted; and what the reasons were for each secondment.

Shailesh Vara: Ministry of Justice records show that there were no secondments into the Department and its Executive agencies from (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Capita, (d) Working Links, (e) A4E, (f) Sodexo, (g) GEO Amey, (h) Mitie, (i) MTC Amey, (j) GEO Group, (k) Atos and (l) Carillion in each year since 2010.

Secondment

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff have been seconded from his Department and its Executive agencies into (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Capita, (d) Working Links, (e) A4E, (f) Sodexo, (g) GEO Amey and (h) Mitie; in which areas of his Department such staff previously worked; how long each secondment lasted; and what the reasons were for each secondment.

Shailesh Vara: Ministry of Justice records show that there were no secondments from the Department and its Executive agencies into (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Capita, (d) Working Links, (e) A4E, (f) Sodexo, (g) GEO Amey and (h) Mitie in each year since 2010.

Taxation: Appeals

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) first-tier and (b) upper-tier tax tribunal judges there were in 2013-14; for how many days (i) first-tier and (ii) upper-tier tax tribunal panel members sat in that year; how many (A) first-tier and (B) upper-tier tax tribunal expert panel members there were in that year; and how much was paid to tax tribunal panel members in that year.

Shailesh Vara: I refer the hon. Member to the answers provided on 10 February 2014, Official Report, column 491W and 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 408W, which contain the most up-to-date information on Judicial Numbers. Data for later periods will be contained in the next publication of Judicial Diversity Statistics, which is due for release at the end of July.
	For the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014 panel members sat in the First-tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber) for a total of 1,272 days.1 Members do not sit on tax cases in the Upper Tribunal.
	In the financial year 2013-14, expenditure on all fee-paid judicial Office holders within the tax jurisdiction was £1.8 million.
	1 This figure is taken from internal management information and as such has not been quality checked to the same level as official statistics.

Video Games: Cybercrime

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that cyber criminals who steal online items in video games with a real-world monetary value received the same sentences as criminals who steal real-world items of the same monetary value.

Michael Penning: Those who commit theft or fraud online can be prosecuted for those offences and face severe maximum sentences. Sentencing for individual cases is a matter for the courts. The independent Sentencing Council issue guidelines to ensure consistency in sentencing.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Amendments and New Clauses

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House how many amendments to Government bills were not debated in the House due to a lack of time in each of the last 10 years.

William Hague: The information sought is not held in the form requested; nor is it possible to determine the reasons why some amendments are not debated. The majority of public bill committees in this Parliament have concluded earlier than the time programmed. The average number of groups of amendments not reached at Report Stage on a Bill in each of the ten Sessions from 2002-03 has been provided by the Government and is included in the Appendix of the Third Report from the Procedure Committee of Session 2013-14, HC767. The figure for the 2013-14 Session is an average of 1.4 groups per Bill.

Business Committee

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House with reference to the commitment in the Coalition Agreement, when he plans to introduce a Parliamentary Business of the House Committee.

William Hague: Given the absence of consensus, the Government has decided not to pursue the establishment of a House Business Committee at the present time.

Debates

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House how many days were allocated to business not introduced by a Government Minister in each of the last 10 years.

William Hague: The statistics requested are not maintained as business is not always allocated on the basis of whole days. The number of days allocated to Opposition days, Backbench Business, Select Committee business and private Member’s Bills each Session is specified in the Standing Orders of the House. The number of hours spent each Session on different categories of business is recorded in the Sessional Returns.

Elections

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to provide that the Leader of the House should be elected by the whole House, not appointed by the Prime Minister.

William Hague: No.

Programme Motions

Peter Bone: To ask the Leader of the House how many programme motions were proposed in each year since the introduction of such motions; and how many such motions were agreed to.

William Hague: No records of the number of programme motions moved each year are maintained and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In the last 10 years, every programme motion that has been moved has been agreed to.

CABINET OFFICE

Census

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in each (a) constituency in England and Wales and (b) local authority area in Scotland were listed as aged 18 or over in (i) the 2011 Census and (ii) the most recent Office for National Statistics estimate.

Brooks Newmark: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated July 2014
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in each (a) constituency in England and Wales and (b) local authority area in Scotland were listed as aged 18 or over in (i) the 2011 Census and (ii) the most recent Office for National Statistics estimate. (205691)
	(a) (i) The numbers of people aged 18 or over in each UK parliamentary constituency in England and Wales from the 2011 Census have been extracted from the published table KS 102EW and are shown in the attached spreadsheet.
	(a) (ii) The most recent estimate of those aged 18 or over in each constituency in England and Wales are shown in the attached spreadsheet which have been taken from the published Mid-2012 Parliamentary Constituencies for England and Wales data released on 26 November 2013:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/sape/parliament-constituency-pop-est/mid-2012/index.html
	(b) (i) The numbers of people aged 18 or over in each local authority area in Scotland have been extracted from the published table KS102UK and are shown in the attached spreadsheet.
	(b) (ii) The most recent estimate of those aged 18 or over in each local authority area in Scotland are shown in the attached spreadsheet and have been taken from the published Mid-2013 estimates released on 26 June 2014:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/2013/index.html
	A copy of the tables will be placed in the Library of the House.

Children: Abuse

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether any files on child abuse have been passed to his Department by (a) other parts of the Government or (b) hon. Members; and in what year such files were so passed;
	(2)  whether any files on child abuse have been passed to No. 10 Downing Street by (a) other parts of the Government or (b) hon. Members; and in what year such files were so passed.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Cabinet Office has no record of having been passed any files on child abuse by another Department or hon. Members.

Debates

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office for what reason no Minister in his Department was able to represent his Department in the debate on the political independence of charities scheduled to take place in Westminster Hall on 15 July 2014.

Francis Maude: The debate was withdrawn.

Government Digital Service

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 291W, on Government Digital Service 
	(1)  whether all Government Digital Service staff are members of the Civil Service ICT professional group;
	(2)  how many (a) male and (b) female (i) permanent and (ii) contract staff of the Government Digital Service were in each grade in each of the last five years.

Francis Maude: Further to the answer by my hon. Friend the Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (Mr Hurd) on 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 291W, information on GDS staffing, including grades, is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gds-business-plan-april-2014-to-march-2015/gds-business-plan-april-2014-to-march-2015#budget-and-headcount
	GDS also employs specialist staff on short-term contracts as a cost-effective option to deliver specific programmes.
	Rather than ensuring staff are members of an ICT professional group we are actually improving IT and digital skills across Government, addressing a long-standing weakness. The capability for IT professionals within government is the responsibility of departmental technology leaders and the HR community, with support and advice provided by GDS.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Francis Maude: Since 2010 the Government Property Unit, based in the Cabinet Office, has helped the Government reduce the size of its estate by over 2 million square metres. As at March 2014 Government had released land with capacity for 76,000 homes under the current public sector land programme, towards a target of 100,000 by end March 2015.
	The Cabinet Office has two land holdings: (i) an operational site at Hannington; and, (ii) the Sunningdale Park site, which is subject to a Private Finance Initiative contract. The Sunningdale Park site is not subject to a lease break until 2017.
	Therefore the Cabinet Office has not been in a position to release any land since May 2010.

Non-governmental Organisations

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations were abolished in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: In 2010 the coalition pledged to reduce the number and cost of public bodies. Our Public Bodies Reform Programme is the largest restructuring of public bodies in a generation. It will make the landscape smaller, more accountable, and will offer better value for money to the public.
	By April 2011 the reforms brought about by the programme had reduced the number of public bodies by 46. During 2011-12 the numbers reduced by a further 56. To date over 185 public bodies have been abolished and more than 165 have been merged into fewer than 70.
	The total number of public bodies has reduced by over 285.

Official Secrets Act 1989

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the Government's policy is on waiving the obligations of officials under the Official Secrets Acts when they (a) provide evidence to official inquiries and (b) provide information privately to hon. Members.

Francis Maude: The obligations under the Official Secrets Act apply at all times.
	Provision may be made for protected disclosures in certain circumstances.

Older People: Harrogate

Andrew Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people (a) of pensionable age and (b) over 80 years of age there are in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency.

Brooks Newmark: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter Glen Watson, dated July 2014:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people (a) of pensionable age and (b) over 80 years old there are in Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency (206564).
	ONS publishes annual estimates of the resident population of the UK, by age, as at 30 June each year. The latest available estimates show that there were an estimated 22,934 people of pensionable age in Harrogate and Knaresborough parliamentary constituency at mid-2012.
	The estimate of pensionable age gives the number of women aged 61 and over, and men aged 65 and over. This is the closest available approximation to state pension age at mid-2012 that can be obtained for population estimates by parliamentary constituency. The estimated population of Harrogate and Knaresborough parliamentary constituency who were aged 80 and over (that is, have passed their 80th birthday) at mid-2012 is 6,435.
	The latest population estimates for parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales were published on 26 November 2013 and are available on the ONS website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/sape/parliament-constituency-pop-est/mid-2012/index.html

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what No. 10 Downing Street's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister’s Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The Cabinet Office complies with any relevant legislation, including the Official Secrets Act, when responding to written parliamentary questions.
	Guidance to answering parliamentary questions is available online:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Jo Swinson: There is no prohibition of alcohol in this Department. This includes ministerial and official Private Offices.

Billing

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of suppliers to his Department have been paid within the time specified on their invoice in each of the last three years.

Jo Swinson: The prompt payment of supplier invoices is very important to the Department and we aim to pay all supplier invoices as quickly as possible to meet the Government’s aim of ensuring that at least 80% of supplier invoices are paid within five working days. This goes beyond the Department’s standard payment terms and conditions that requires payment of a correctly submitted supplier invoice within 30 calendar days of receipt. The Department’s achievement over the last three years goes well beyond the aim and in doing so the vast majority of supplier invoices are paid within the standard time period. The detail of payment within five working days and standard 30 calendar days over the last three financial years is as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			 Financial year Paid in five Working Days Paid in 30 Calendar Days 
			 2011-12 95 99.6 
			 2012-13 94.8 99.6 
			 2013-14 97.7 99.1

Business: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses located in Northern Ireland have contacted UK Export Finance to enquire about loans from the Direct Lending Facility since June 2013.

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance has received approximately 10 inquiries from businesses located in Northern Ireland on its Direct Lending Facility since June 2013.

Earthquakes

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many seismic events of (a) 0.0-0.5, (b) 0.5-1.0, (c) 1.0-1.5, (d) 1.5-2.0, (e) 2.0-2.5 and (f) 2.5-3.0 magnitude on the Richter scale were recorded in each month since June 2004.

Greg Clark: The UK's national seismic network is operated by the British Geological Survey (BGS), a Research Centre of the Natural Environment Research Council. The network will detect almost all earthquakes of local magnitude 2 and above in the UK. The network does detect events with magnitude less than 2, but some will not be recorded as the ability to detect an event reliably diminishes with increasing distance from the closest seismometer stations. Seismic events in the UK since June 2004 are shown in Table 1 below. The BGS network detects around 100 earthquakes in the UK annually. Further information on seismic monitoring in the UK can be found at:
	http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/
	
		
			 Table 1: Seismic events since June 2004 
			 Count of ML 
			   Richter local magnitude (ML)  
			   0-0.4 0.5-0.9 1-1.4 1.5-1.9 2-2.4 2.5-2.9 3-3.4 3.5-3.9 4-4.4 4.5-4.9 5-5.4 Total 
			 2004 June — 1 2 2 3 — — — — — — 8 
			  July 2 5 — — 1 1 — — — — — 9 
			  August — 1 2 1 2 — — — — — — 6 
			  September — 1 1 — — — 1 — — — — 3 
			  October — 1 2 1 1 — — — — — — 5 
			  November 6 7 7 3 3 2 — — — — — 28 
			  December 3 — 5 2 1 — 1 — — — — 12 
			               
			 2005 January — — 1 3 — 2 — — — — — 6 
			  February — 1 2 3 — — 1 — — — — 7 
			  March 1 1 — — 1 2 — — — — — 5 
			  April 2 1 2 1 1 — — — — — — 7 
			  May — 8 5 2 2 — — — — — — 17 
			  June — 2 3 1 1 1 1 — — — — 9 
			  July — — 3 2 1 1 — — — — — 7 
			  August 1 3 2 3 — 2 2 — — — — 13 
		
	
	
		
			  September 3 3 3 1 1 — 1 — — — — 12 
			  October — 2 — 4 — — — — — — — 6 
			  November 3 2 5 2 — — — — — — — 12 
			  December — 1 2 1 3 2 1 — — — — 10 
			               
			 2006 January — — 2 2 — 2 — — — — — 6 
			  February — — — 4 1 — — — — — — 5 
			  March 1 1 6 1 1 — — — — — — 10 
			  April — — — 2 — — 1 — — — — 3 
			  May — 1 — 1 — — — — — — — 2 
			  June 1 — 1 2 — 1 — — — — — 5 
			  July — — 1 3 — — — — — — — 4 
			  August — — 2 2 — — — 1 — — — 5 
			  September — — 2 — 2 — — — — — — 4 
			  October — 1 5 — 1 1 — — — — — 8 
			  November — — 2 1 1 — — — — — — 4 
			  December 1 1 — 3 1 — 1 1 — — — 8 
			               
			 2007 January — — 1 — 1 — — 1 1 1 — 5 
			  February 1 — — — 2 — — — 1 — — 4 
			  March — — 7 8 3 1 — — — — — 19 
			  April — 3 8 3 — — — — 1 — — 15 
			  May — 1 4 1 — 1 — — — — — 7 
			  June — — 1 2 1 — — 1 — — — 5 
			  July — 1 5 4 1 2 2 — — — — 15 
			  August — — 3 4 3 2 — — — — — 12 
			  September — — 3 1 — 1 2 — — — — 7 
			  October — — 3 2 3 1 2 — — — — 11 
			  November — — 2 3 2 1 — — — — — 8 
			  December — — 1 1 1 — — — — — — 3 
			               
			 2008 January — — 3 3 1 — 1 — — — — 8 
			  February — 2 2 2 3 — — — — — 1 10 
			  March — 3 1 1 2 — — — — — — 7 
			  April — — 2 1 — 1 — — — — — 4 
			  May — 1 3 2 3 2 — — — — — 11 
			  June 1 — 2 2 2 — — — — — — 7 
			  July — 1 6 7 2 — — — — — — 16 
			  August — 1 3 7 1 1 — — — — — 13 
			  September — — 6 1 1 1 — — — — — 9 
			  October — — — 2 — — — 3 — — — 5 
			  November — — — 1 1 1 — — — — — 3 
			  December — — 3 5 1 — — — — — — 9 
			               
			 2009 January — 1 5 — 2 — 1 — — — — 9 
			  February — — 3 2 — — 1 — — — — 6 
			  March — — 2 2 — — 1 — — — — 5 
			  April — 2 1 1 1 — 1 1 — — — 7 
			  May — 2 — 2 — — — — — — — 4 
			  June — — 2 6 — 1 — — — — — 9 
			  July — 2 4 1 4 — — — — — — 11 
			  August 1 2 3 2 1 — — — — — — 9 
		
	
	
		
			  September — — 3 1 — 1 1 — — — — 6 
			  October — 1 — 1 1 1 — — — — — 4 
			  November — — — — 2 — — — — — — 2 
			  December — 1 2 5 6 — — — — — — 14 
			               
			 2010 January — 2 2 6 — — — — — — — 10 
			  February —  2 3 3 — — — — 1 — 9 
			  March — 1 1 2 1 — — — — — — 5 
			  April — — 3 1 — — 1 — — — — 5 
			  May — — 2 5 — 1 — — — — — 8 
			  June — 1 1 2 3 2 — — — — — 9 
			  July — — 3 3 1 1 — — — — — 8 
			  August — — 1 7 — — — — — — — 8 
			  September — 1 4 3 2 1 — 1 — — — 12 
			  October — 1 3 3 — — — — — — — 7 
			  November 1 2 1 — — — 1 — — — — 5 
			  December — 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 — — — 12 
			               
			 2011 January — 1 3 2 1 2 — 2 — — — 11 
			  February — — 3 — — 1 1 2 — — — 7 
			  March 4 4 5 1 2 — — — — — — 16 
			  April 4 — 4 2 2 1 — — — — — 13 
			  May 2 2 2 3 2 — — — — — — 11 
			  June — — — 2 — 1 — — — — — 3 
			  July — — 2 3 1 — — 2 — — — 8 
			  August — 6 2 1 3 1 — — — — — 13 
			  September — — 1 2 2 — — — — 1 — 6 
			  October — — 5 3 2 1 — 1 — — — 12 
			  November — — — 4 1 — — — — — — 5 
			  December — — 2 2 2 — — — — — — 6 
			               
			 2012 January — — 2 2 3 1 — 1 — — — 9 
			  February — 1 4 4 2 4 — — — — — 15 
			  March — 1 5 2 — 1 1 — — — — 10 
			  April 1 1 4 3 2 — — — — — — 11 
			  May — 1 3 4 — 1 — — — — — 9 
			  June — 3 5 4 — 1 — — 1 — — 14 
			  July — — 3 2 1 1 — — — — — 7 
			  August — — 1 1 2 — — — — — — 4 
			  September — 2 6 — 1 — — — — — — 9 
			  October — — 3 3 1 1 — — — — — 8 
			  November — — 2 — 3 1 — — — — — 6 
			  December — — 5 3 — 1 2 — — — — 11 
			               
			 2013 January — — 2 3 1 2 — — — — — 8 
			  February — 3 6 5 6 1 — — — — — 21 
			  March 1 2 1 2 4 — 1 3 — — — 14 
			  April — 6 7 — — — — — — — — 13 
			  May — 3 7 3 — 2 — 1 — — — 16 
			  June — 1 4 5 2 1 — — — —  13 
			  July — 4 4 1 2 1 — — — — — 12 
			  August — 1 2 1 1 3 1 — — — — 9 
		
	
	
		
			  September — 4 5 3 — 1 — — — — — 13 
			  October — — 5 2 1 1 — — — — — 9 
			  November — 1 1 — — — — — — — — 2 
			  December — 6 9 7 1 — 1 — — — — 24 
			               
			 2014 January — 2 14 15 3 2 1 — — — — 37 
			  February — — 19 10 1 1 — — 1 — — 32 
			  March — 4 9 16 1 — 1 — — — — 31 
			  April — 3 7 4 1 — 1 1 — — — 17 
			  May — 5 5 2 — — 1 — — — — 13 
			  June — 3 7 4 — 2 — — — — — 16 
			  July — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — 3 
			               
			 Grand total  40 148 374 311 148 78 36 25 6 3 1 1,170

Further Education and Training

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many (a) men and (b) women who benefited from free early education were in training or further education in each of the last five years.

Nicholas Boles: Information on further education learners who benefited from free early education is not centrally collected.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Jo Swinson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills core owns no freehold land, therefore, no land has been released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds.

Jo Swinson: The Department does not maintain a register of subscriptions to magazines so an answer cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost. The Department does not subscribe to any TV channels and only uses Freeview.

Postal Services: Competition

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect of direct delivery competition on Royal Mail and the sustainability of the universal service obligation.

Jo Swinson: Under the Postal Services Act 2011, Parliament established Ofcom, as an independent regulator for postal services, and gave them the primary duty to secure the ongoing provision of the universal service in the United Kingdom. To this end, Ofcom must have regard for the financial sustainability of the universal service and has the powers to intervene if the provision of the universal service is ever at risk.
	Ofcom has put in place an ongoing and forward looking monitoring regime to closely track any potential impacts of postal competition on the provision of the universal service in the UK. Ofcom is committed to carrying out a full review on end-to-end competition next year, though it has made very clear that it would carry out an earlier review if market developments dictated the need to do so. At the present time, end-to-end competition accounts for less than 0.5% of letter volumes in the United Kingdom.

Royal Mail

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 292W, on Royal Mail, how many staff of the Shareholder Executive worked on the privatisation of Royal Mail.

Matthew Hancock: The 17 core staff referred to in the answer of 9 April 2014, Official Report, column 292W, were all from the Shareholder Executive working on the Royal Mail Initial Public Offering.

Royal Mail

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the review by Lord Myners of the process of privatisation of Royal Mail will be published in full; and when this report will be completed.

Matthew Hancock: The review is intended to inform wider HMG considerations about alternatives to bookbuilding, as recommended by the National Audit Office in its report on the Royal Mail Initial Public Offering (IPO). It will help the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable) in his own assessment of the system the Government operates for the sale of its assets through IPOs to ensure that Government can meet its full objectives while achieving value for money.
	It is not a public review but the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills will make the key findings of the review public.
	It is expected that the noble Lord Myners will complete his review later this year.

Students: Fees and Charges

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to lowering the tuition fee cap for students studying STEM subjects.

Greg Clark: The Government has not considered lowering tuition fee caps for students studying STEM subjects. Higher education institutions already have the flexibility to vary their fees for STEM or other courses, provided that the fees charged do not exceed the cap.

Tickets: Internet

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what representations he has received from secondary ticketing websites about amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill;
	(2)  what discussions he, Ministers or officials in his Department have had with secondary ticketing websites about guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013;
	(3)  what discussions he, Minister and officials in his Department have had with Ministers or officials in the (a) Department of Culture, Media and Sport and (b) Home Office about the resale of tickets and the Consumer Rights Bill;
	(4)  what representations he received from representatives of secondary ticketing websites on the guidance to or implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013;
	(5)  what steps he is taking to ensure that secondary ticketing websites abide by the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013.

Jo Swinson: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, my right hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), has not received any direct representations from representatives of the secondary ticketing websites on amendments tabled to the Consumer Rights Bill or about the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.
	Neither the Secretary of State nor other Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have had meetings with the secondary ticketing websites about the implementation of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 or the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills’ guidance on them.
	The draft regulations and the contents of the Bill were widely consulted on and the Department received a range of comments in response. Officials from the Department have also had discussions with a wide range of stakeholders (including with secondary ticketing websites) on the implementation of those regulations and the guidance on them.
	Following a consultation on the draft regulations, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has produced guidance on the requirements of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This guidance is easily accessible on the gov.uk website. Officials have also worked with the business support helpline, which offers free advice to business on a wide range of issues, including regulation, and with the Trading Standards Institute (TSI), as the primary body responsible for educating businesses on consumer law. TSI has also produced guidance which is available on their website. Consumers themselves are important in driving compliance and officials have worked with Citizens Advice to raise consumer awareness so that they can see when businesses are not abiding by the requirements of the regulations.
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has also actively promoted the changes in the regulations across all sectors through seminars, presentations and communications to businesses.
	Ministers in the Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have discussions and correspond together on a wide range of issues, and this has included agreeing the content of the Consumer Rights Bill. Officials from those Departments are in regular contact, including regarding the issue of resale of tickets.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Jo Swinson: The Department does not hold data on Directorate away days or the cost of them as each event is held only when needed and not on a regular basis.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Jo Swinson: The information is as follows:
	2010
	Edward Davey, former Minister for Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs: June 2010; John Hayes, former Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning: June 2010; Baroness Wilcox, former Parliamentary Under Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills: June 2010: £2,100.
	2012
	Jo Swinson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs (jointly with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport): October 2012 £2,200.
	Matthew Hancock, Minister for Skills (jointly with Department for Education) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State: October 2012 £2,200.
	2013
	Viscount Younger, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills: May 2013; £3,300.
	2014
	Jenny Willott—Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs: March 2014; £3,300.
	These training sessions would have covered television, radio and journalist interviews. There are no costs associated with social media training.
	The Department organises media training for Ministers to help them undertake their official duty as spokespersons for the Department. Every effort is taken to ensure value for the taxpayer.

Training

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many traineeships completed to date have lasted six weeks or less.

Matthew Hancock: In the June Statistical First Release we published data showing that there were 7,400 traineeships starts between August 2013 and April 2014—the first nine months of the programme. We do not have reliable data yet to break this down further.
	Further information on traineeships data is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324016/traineeship-data-note-june14.pdf

UK Export Finance: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many export finance advisers are employed by UK Export Finance in Northern Ireland.

Matthew Hancock: UK Export Finance employs 21 export finance advisers, based across the English regions and devolved Administrations. There is one export finance adviser based in Northern Ireland, who is part of a team of seven advisers which covers North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to improve the lives of Christian people in Afghanistan who face difficulties as a result of publicly practising their faith.

Tobias Ellwood: The UK strongly supports the universal human right to freedom of religion and belief. We continue to remind the Afghan Government of its duty to abide by its national and international commitments, and to respect the freedom of worship as enshrined in the Afghan constitution. We use a variety of activities within Afghanistan to promote freedom of religion, including supporting human rights awareness training. We are also engaging with religious leaders and scholars, to discuss the role of religious leaders in promoting peace and tolerance at a local level.

Ascension Island

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that West Nile virus is not introduced from the United States to Ascension Island.

Mark Simmonds: At the present time, Ascension Island Government (AIG) assesses that there is a low risk of West Nile virus being introduced to Ascension Island from the United States. AIG continues to monitor the situation, and will keep its precautionary measures under review.

Billing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold all of the required data centrally and could not answer this question in full without incurring disproportionate costs. However, we recently investigated duplicate supplier payments for the eight-month period from April to November 2013 and identified just one duplicate invoice, with a value of £2,501. Our financial control system prevented any payment being made. The FCO has several controls in place to prevent duplicate payments.

British Indian Ocean Territory

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the commercial tuna-fishing licences sold by the British Indian Ocean Territory Government in 2010.

Mark Simmonds: 21 commercial tuna fishing licences were issued by the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Administration in 2010, prior to the implementation of the Marine Protected Area. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House shortly.

British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the importance of the sustainability of the British overseas territories.

Mark Simmonds: The sustainability of the UK’s overseas territories is a priority for my Department and for the whole of Government. The UK Government has a fundamental responsibility and objective to ensure the security and good governance of the territories and their peoples and to ensure the good stewardship of their natural environments. On the latter point, the Government has worked closely with the territories to mainstream environmental policy and to help them understand how their unique natural heritage can bring them positive benefits. The Government is contributing some £2 million per annum to the Darwin Fund which supports environmental management in the territories.
	The Government set out its vision and strategy for the overseas territories in the 2012 White Paper: “The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability”. I recognise the valuable work of my hon. Friend the Member for Romford as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on the overseas territories.

Buildings

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on refurbishing (a) gym and leisure facilities, (b) cafeterias and (c) interior decoration within buildings (i) used and (ii) owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) new gym facility within the King Charles Street office was part of a combined project which also delivered a new Diplomatic Service Language Centre. It has replaced the staff gym in the Old Admiralty Building office which has closed as part of the FCO's office relocation. Figures for the gym alone could not be extracted from these totals without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure on refurbishing cafeterias during 2013 was nil. During 2014 to date, the total was £189,682.
	Expenditure on the refurbishment of interior decoration is not specifically identified as such within the Department’s records and could not be extracted without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Overseas, the FCO runs an estate in over 270 locations worldwide. It would not be possible to provide the information requested on overseas properties without incurring disproportionate cost.

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Government of Burma reported threats that ethnic Rohingya identifying themselves as such in the census could face arrest.

Hugo Swire: We have not received reports of anyone facing arrest for identifying themselves as Rohingya in Burma’s census; the enumeration period is now over. However, we were deeply disappointed that during the census the Burmese Government went against its long-standing assurance that all individuals would have the right to self-identify their ethnic origin. We have been clear that this decision is in contravention of international norms and standards on census conduct. I discussed our concerns on the census with the senior Burmese Minister responsible, Immigration Minister U Khin Yi, in March, and summoned the Burmese ambassador in April.
	The UK, UN and other donors have been in dialogue with the Burmese Government and community groups throughout the preparation, enumeration and now the data analysis and dissemination stages of the census. We have been absolutely clear that we want to see as peaceful, credible and complete a process as possible, with the anticipated risks carefully managed.

Cayman Islands

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the degree to which the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane captive breeding facility.

Mark Simmonds: The elected Government of the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, has devolved constitutional responsibility for animal welfare and conservation including for legislation and policies governing the Cayman Turtle Farm. The UK is responsible for the international relations of the Cayman Islands and for their compliance with obligations arising under international law. The UK has extended the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to the Cayman Islands. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is providing technical support and advice to support the Cayman Islands in fully meeting its international environmental and conservation obligations. The UK CITES Management Authority has not made a recent assessment of whether the Cayman Turtle Farm is a humane facility, but did commission an independent investigation in 2002 in support of an application for registration as a captive-breeding operation under CITES, which found it was a humane facility.

China

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the detention of Gao Zhisheng in China; and what steps he is taking to secure his release.

Hugo Swire: We remain concerned about human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng who has been imprisoned in Xinjiang, without access to his family, since January 2013. We raised his case directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May. We understand that Gao’s prison term is due to end soon, and we urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that his rights to freedom of movement and communication are duly protected on his release.

China

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the health and whereabouts of human rights’ lawyer Mr Gao Zhisheng following his further detention by Chinese authorities.

Hugo Swire: We remain concerned about human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2011. We raised his case directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May, and urged the Chinese authorities to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all detainees, including access to family, lawyers and adequate medical care.
	We understand that Gao’s prison term is due to end soon, and we urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that his rights to freedom of movement and communication are duly protected on his release.

Diego Garcia

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 643W, on Diego Garcia, if he will immediately publish the contents of all the records referred to in the answer.

Mark Simmonds: I have asked officials to review the contents of the material, with a view to assessing their suitability for publication, in accordance with our regular procedures.

Egypt

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the political stability of Egypt.

Tobias Ellwood: We believe that a genuinely open political process, in which all political groups are able to participate, will lead to long-term stability in Egypt. We are concerned at restrictions on political freedoms, including freedom of expression and association, and the trials of journalists. We are also concerned at reports of the absence of a fair hearing in some recent trials. The UK encourages the Egyptian Government to implement the rights enshrined in Egypt's constitution.
	Prosperity will also be important for Egypt's long-term stability. We welcome Egyptian Government starting to implement economic reforms. The UK supports the Egyptian people in their aspirations for greater economic opportunities, political participation, freedom and rights.

EU Staff: British Nationality

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on (a) the number of UK citizens employed by EU institutions and (b) the proportion of the annual staff budget of the European Parliament spent on staff salaries for UK citizens.

David Lidington: As of April 2014, the UK’s overall percentage of permanent officials in the Commission was 4.5% and the percentage of Administrators (policy grade) was 5.4%. This breaks down as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Temporary Agents 46 
			 Contract Agents 110 
			 Permanent staff (AD) 672 
			 Permanent staff (AST) 339 
			 Total 1,167 
		
	
	In the General Secretariat of the Council there were:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Contract Agents 1 
			 Permanent staff (AD) 53 
			 Permanent staff (AST) 33 
			 Total 87 
		
	
	The UK currently also has 112 out of a total of 1,028 (10.89%) of Seconded National Experts (civil servants on secondment from member states) working in the EU Institutions.
	The 2014 annual EU budget includes €1755.6 million for the administrative expenditure of the European Parliament (EP) of which 35% is for staff expenses, mainly salaries for the 6,000 officials working in the General Secretariat and in the Political Groups. The EP budget is not broken down by nationality of the officials involved.

Japan

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Japanese Government on introducing a ban on the practice of eating live sushi.

Hugo Swire: We are aware that some restaurants in Japan offer live seafood dishes on their menus. In the UK, the practice of serving live food would be illegal under the Animal Welfare Act as causing unnecessary suffering. We hope that public sentiment will move those countries where such practices are currently legal, to change their policies. However, in the absence of international laws or agreements governing this issue, the UK has no legal grounds to intervene with Japan or other countries where the consumption of live seafood is legal in domestic law.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he had with his Libyan counterparts about violence in Tripoli.

Tobias Ellwood: Since assuming office on 15 July, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has yet to have direct discussions with the Libyan Foreign Minister. However, through our embassy in Tripoli, we remain in direct contact with the Libyan Government at the highest levels. We share their concern at the attacks in and around Tripoli International Airport, and condemn all actions which put lives in danger whether in the East or West of the country. We support the Libyan Government’s call for a ceasefire and urgent dialogue.

Libya

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Tripoli.

Tobias Ellwood: We continue to monitor carefully the ongoing security situation in Tripoli and across Libya. We are deeply concerned at the attacks in and around Tripoli International Airport, and condemn actions which put lives in danger whether in the East or West of the country.
	We support the Libyan Government’s call for a ceasefire and urgent dialogue. Violence and the threat of violence are unacceptable, and should not be used to pursue political goals. The situation in which armed groups operate outside government control, and without respect for either Libyan or international law, threatens the stability of the state and Libyan people’s aspirations for a secure and prosperous future.
	Our travel advice remains current, and is updated as necessary to reflect the situation on the ground.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds; and what the annual cost is of each of those subscriptions.

David Lidington: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reviews all magazine subscriptions annually. Titles are provided electronically wherever possible to ensure efficiency and best value for money.
	The FCO does not hold centrally separate data on magazine subscriptions. The majority of decisions on subscriptions are made by the UK’s embassies and diplomatic posts and are funded from within their delegated budgets, or by individual departments within the FCO on the same basis. As a result comprehensive information on individual publications is not centrally recorded and collating this information would incur disproportionate cost. The following is the list of magazines provided centrally, in the majority of cases in electronic format, as of July 2014:
	American Journal of International Law, Civil Wars, Critical Studies on Terrorism, International Peacekeeping, Turkish Studies, Common Market Law Review, Current Legal Problems, Human Rights Quarterly, ICSID Review — Foreign Investment Law Journal, International Community Law Review, International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies, Journal of Private International Law, Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, Legal Issues of Economic Integration : Academic – Government, Modern Law Review, Ocean Development and International Law, Military Balance, Global Governance, Journal of Common Market Studies, Project Manager Today, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Journal of Democracy, Post-Soviet Affairs, RUSI Journal and Whitehall Papers, Africa Confidential, Comparative Strategy, Conflict Management and Peace Science, Conflict Security and Development, Economic and Political Weekly, Eye Spy Magazine, IISS Publications Combined, Intelligence and National Security, International Affairs, International Journal of Human Rights, International Journal of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, Journal of Strategic Studies, Marston World Wide, Monde Diplomatique, Oxford Scholarly Authorities on International Law, Prospect, Science, Terrorism and Political Violence, Washington Quarterly, Inside US Trade and World Trade, Jane's Defence News, Jane's Security News, Science Direct.
	The breadth of magazines reflects the wide range of issues, events and crises the FCO’s staff around the world need to keep track of in order to protect Britain’s interests at home and overseas.
	The total cost of these magazine subscriptions was £52,964. Total FCO expenditure on publications has fallen by 16% since 2010.
	(b) The FCO does not spend any money on premium satellite television channels in the UK. The digital television system used by the FCO is provided through our support agreement with FCO Services. It has been in place for five years and all 85 channels available are free to air and are therefore subscription free.
	This does not capture subscriptions sourced locally overseas as it would incur disproportionate cost to obtain this information.

Ministers: Official Cars

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many journeys Ministers of his Department have made using the Government Car Service; and how many such journeys were for the transportation of a red box.

David Lidington: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers do not make regular use of the Government Car Service and we do not record the times when it may be used by Ministers. FCO Services, a Trading Fund of the FCO, has a small pool of vehicles and security cleared drivers (the London Car Service) which are used mainly for transporting Queen’s Messengers, diplomatic bags and other classified material. As part of a long-standing arrangement the Permanent Under-Secretary and other senior officials have been able to draw on this pool for official and operationally necessary travel, and since 2010 FCO Ministers have also used the service.
	In the financial year 2013-14, 1,446 journeys were made by Ministers using the London Car Service. A further 151 London Car Service journeys were made for the separate transportation of red boxes.

Montserrat

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the timetable is for the Montserrat Conservation and Environmental Management Bill.

Mark Simmonds: The elected Government of Montserrat has devolved constitutional responsibility for conservation and environmental management. The UK Government is supporting the strengthening of the legal and institutional framework for environment management through our support for the Montserrat Strategic Growth Plan. We understand that the Montserrat Conservation and Environmental Management Bill is due to have its third and final reading in the Legislative Assembly on 22 July.

Nigeria

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps the Government has taken to help the 223 girls kidnapped in North East Nigeria.

Mark Simmonds: We remain committed to helping Nigeria to find the schoolgirls abducted from Chibok. On 12 June the First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the previous Foreign Secretary, hosted the London Ministerial on Security in Northern Nigeria. At this meeting with Nigeria, her neighbours and other international partners, we agreed a number of further measures designed to help the girls abducted on 14 April by Boko Haram, and the hundreds of others like them. We continue to offer intelligence support to the Nigerian authorities and are also agreeing with them the increased training and tactical support we committed to in London.
	We will review progress further at a ministerial follow-up meeting in Abuja in September.

Nigeria

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the delivery of the package of assistance pledged by the Prime Minister to the Nigerian Government following the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in that country.

Mark Simmonds: We continue to provide support to the Nigerian authorities in the search for the Chibok schoolgirls. In addition to the support announced by the Prime Minister, on 12 June we announced a further package of assistance. This package includes training and advice to the Nigerian armed forces; support to the Nigerian Government in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East; a commitment to draw 1 million more children into education in Northern Nigeria by 2020 and £1 million for the UN’s Safe Schools Initiative. We are agreeing the implementation of these measures with the Nigerian authorities and look forward to reviewing progress at a ministerial meeting in Abuja in September.

Official Cars

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomatic cars have been sold by his Department in each year since 2010; how much each car was sold for; and how much was raised in total from such sales.

David Lidington: Responsibility for purchase and sale of diplomatic vehicles is devolved to embassies and high commissions. Diplomatic vehicles are sold when no longer cost-effective to run, or when fewer vehicles are needed. These vehicles are sold for a fair, local market price. Sales of all vehicles raised £777,000 in 2013-14 and £1.166 million in 2012-13.

Pitcairn Islands

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to protect biodiversity on the Pitcairn Islands.

Mark Simmonds: HMG works closely with the Pitcairn Island Council, the Pitcairn community and other stakeholders on the protection of biodiversity on the Pitcairn Islands. We are currently drafting a revised Pitcairn Ordinance (Law) on environmental protection to entrench these protections further.
	The Government is also currently funding, through Darwin Plus, a project to develop a sustainable marine and fisheries management plan for the Pitcairn Islands.
	We have committed to working constructively with the Pitcairn Island Council, and other stakeholders to see if there are practical solutions for more affordable enforcement, including enhanced international co-operation, alternative sources of funding and innovative methods to achieve the same objective.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

David Lidington: Since 2010, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has awarded 34 contracts over £3 million and 40 contracts between £1 million to £3 million (lifetime value). Contracts awarded by agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are delegated to the relevant agency or body.
	We anticipate awarding a further 21 contracts between £1 million to £3 million and nine contracts over £3 million within the remainder of this financial year.
	In keeping with the Government’s transparency commitments, since 2012 contracts are published online for public scrutiny. This means taxpayers can hold us to account and make sure our contracts provide them with value for money and achieve what they are supposed to do. Further information can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	In the last four years we have significantly built up our capability to commercially manage our contracts in line with wider government initiatives to improve supplier management. We have also provided training to officials to equip them with skills to negotiate the best prices with suppliers and resolve disputes satisfactorily and the FCO executive committee regularly meet supplier board members to oversee progress. We further manage risk and costs by appointing officials to manage individual contracts and be accountable for the performance of each supplier.

Sri Lanka

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on their cooperation with the investigation by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights into alleged abuses in that country.

Hugo Swire: We continue to urge the Sri Lankan Government to fully co-operate with the UN Human Rights Council resolution of March 2014 and the international investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict it established. In his written ministerial statement of 31 March, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), stated that ‘we encourage the Sri Lankan government to fully co-operate with the resolution, and to work alongside the international community for the benefit of its people’. Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka has raised this point directly with members of the Sri Lankan Government, and in public statements.

Sri Lanka

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on steps to bring to justice people responsible for the recent inter-communal violence in that country.

Hugo Swire: We continue to raise our concerns about attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan Government, including the most recent violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Through our high commissioner in Colombo, we have urged the Sri Lankan Government to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
	On 7 July, I also met members of the Sri Lankan Muslim community resident in the UK whose family and friends were directly affected by recent violence in order to hear their concerns.

Sri Lanka

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effects of the religious conversion bill in Sri Lanka on the situation of religious minorities in that country.

Hugo Swire: The Anti-Conversion Bill was presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament ahead of Sri Lanka's general election in 2010. However it did not pass, as Parliament was subsequently dissolved for the election. As a result, the Bill would now need to be re-presented to the Sri Lankan Parliament if it is to be enacted into law. If passed, the Act would have provided privileged status to Buddhism.
	The promotion of human rights, including religious freedom, is at the very heart of British foreign policy. The British Government regularly speaks out internationally to condemn instances of violence and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their religion, regardless of the country or faith concerned.

Sri Lanka

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart (a) on that country's duties to uphold human rights and (b) in response to recent attacks on Muslims in that country.

Hugo Swire: We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Sri Lankan Government and urge them to make progress on reconciliation and accountability. The UK was a main co-sponsor of the UN Human Rights Council resolution passed in March, which establishes an international investigation into allegations of violations and abuses of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka’s military conflict. The resolution also calls upon the Sri Lankan Government to end continuing incidents of human rights violations and abuses in Sri Lanka.
	We also continue to raise our concerns about attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka with the Sri Lankan Government, including the most recent violence in Aluthgama and Beruwala. Through our high commissioner in Colombo, we have urged the Sri Lankan authorities to take early action to promote peaceful co-existence between all communities, noting the importance of ensuring any acts of violence, intimidation or threats are thoroughly investigated and those responsible brought to justice.

St Helena

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the opening of the airport on St Helena does not lead to the development of child sex tourism in that territory.

Mark Simmonds: Safeguarding children in St Helena is a critical priority for the St Helena Government and the UK. Whilst Territory Governments have the principal responsibility for ensure the safeguarding of children in the Overseas Territories, the UK provides practical assistance and support. DFID and the FCO have been supporting child safeguarding initiatives in the OT’s for the last nine years, most recently through the Safeguarding Children in the Overseas Territories (SCOT) programme (2013-2016), which followed on from an earlier SCOT programme (2009-2013) and a regional Child Protection Programme (CPP, 2005-2008). This new programme will focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the problem including how to detect, prevent and address child abuse.
	Following recent further allegations relating to child abuse in St Helena, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs agreed to establish an independent panel of experts to investigate these specific allegations and related matters. In response to these allegations the island’s Executive Council said: “We have taken great steps on St Helena to protect our children and vulnerable people against abuse of any kind. We know that there are concerns, as there are in any community, but solid progress has been made in improving our safeguarding capabilities. We know there is still more to do, and we will continue to strive for further improvements.

St Helena

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has received about allegations of child abuse and police corruption on St Helena since May 2010; when that information was received; and what steps his Department took in response to that information.

Mark Simmonds: Safeguarding children in St Helena is a critical priority for the St Helena Government and the UK. There have been a number of allegations in recent years about child safety and police corruption. In response there have been several investigations and reviews into St Helena-including from independent police forces and from child safety NGO. These have resulted in detailed action plans from the St Helena Government and police service to improve their ability to protect children.
	Last week, we received further allegations of a conspiracy to cover up child abuse on St Helena from former employees of the St Helena Government. We take such allegations extremely seriously. In response, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs agreed to establish an independent panel of experts to investigate these specific allegations and related matters. We hope to be able to announce further details shortly.

St Helena

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Governor of St Helena has received about allegations of child abuse and police corruption in that territory since May 2010; when that information was received; and what steps the Governor took in response to that information.

Mark Simmonds: The Governor and the elected Government of St Helena take very seriously any allegations of child abuse and police corruption. All allegations are investigated and where evidence is available those responsible are dealt with according to the law. There have been numerous successful prosecutions over the period in question with substantial sentences awarded to those convicted of an offence.

St Helena

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to tackle offences of child abuse on St Helena.

Mark Simmonds: Territory Governments have the principal responsibility to ensure the safeguarding of children in the Overseas Territories, for which the UK provides practical assistance and support. DFID and the FCO have been supporting child safeguarding initiatives in the OT’s for the last nine years, most recently through the Safeguarding Children in the Overseas Territories (SCOT) programme (2013-2016), which followed on from an earlier SCOT programme (2009-2013) and a regional Child Protection Programme (CPP, 2005-2008). Although tangible progress was made in earlier programmes to raise awareness and build capacity, the new programme will focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the problem including how to detect, prevent and address child abuse.
	In St Helena, the SCOT programme has helped encourage revised and updated legislation to protect children, established professional protocols and procedures for those involved in child services, improved the provision of training for St Helena officials, and helped to promote local ownership of the safeguarding agenda. Support has been provided to St Helena through a Lucy Faithfull Foundation review (2013) and technical expertise to take forward a robust child safeguarding action plan arising from review recommendations.
	The FCO and DFID have been working closely with the UK police who have investigated reports into child sex abuse on St Helena and continue to do so.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many awaydays his Department has held for (a) senior and (b) other civil servants in (i) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and how much each such awayday cost.

Tobias Ellwood: Awaydays are working days where staff get together to share best practices and experiences. Departments use awaydays to set objectives and decide how they will help the FCO achieve its priorities of protecting national security, creating jobs and economic growth and providing the best support for British people overseas. Details on costs are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but Departments are required keep costs to a minimum.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has spent on (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) other Ministers in his Department; and what specific training was provided in each such case.

David Lidington: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (Mr Bellingham) on 16 July 2012, Official Report, column 569W.
	The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds) attended media training in July 2013. The cost was £1,150.
	Since then we have not provided any training on media or social media for any Ministers in the Department.

Uganda

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Ugandan Government and (b) his EU counterparts on the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Uganda of the sanctions against that country announced by the US Administration on 19 June 2014 in response to the Anti-Homosexuality Act.

Mark Simmonds: We have consistently raised our concerns about the Act with the Ugandan Government. Most recently, the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), and the Minister for Africa, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds), raised the issue with the Ugandan President on 6 May. The UK is working closely with international partners to register its concerns and to seek assurances about the protection of individuals. With our support, EU Heads of Mission in Kampala initiated strengthened political dialogue with Uganda under article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement.
	The UK shares the concerns of the US and notes the US’s recent decision to apply existing visa mechanisms, redirect some health care support, end support for a community policy project and cancel a military aviation exercise in response. The UK is engaging closely with civil society groups in Uganda to consult with them about the most appropriate next steps.

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office follows Cabinet Office guidance on drafting answers to parliamentary questions which is publicly available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission how many employees of the National Audit Office, broken down by grade, have remained at the same grade since 2010 and in that period received pay rises.

Edward Leigh: The following table sets out the number of National Audit Office (NAO) staff who have remained at that grade since 2010 and received a pay rise.
	
		
			 Grade Number 
			 Band 1 7 
			 Band 2 29 
			 Band 3 33 
			 Admin Officer (Audit) 1 
			 Executive Officer (Audit) 1 
			 Audit Technician 3 
			 Analyst 6 
			 Senior Analyst 21 
			 Audit Principal 116 
			 Audit Manager 86 
			 Director 28 
			 Director General 1 
			 Executive Leader 2 
			 Chief Operating Officer 1 
			 Total 335

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Local Government

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  which cities in Wales have been allocated money from the City Deals fund;
	(2)  when the decision to extend City Deals funding beyond England was taken;
	(3)  what representations or applications from Welsh cities to the City Deals fund he has received.

Greg Clark: The first round of city deals with the eight largest cities in England were concluded in July 2012 with 18 further deals agreed with English cities by July 2014. City deals are bespoke negotiations between Government and local places based on the opportunities of a particular place and with no specific budget.
	The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne) announced in the autumn statement that the UK Government would negotiate a city deal with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Prime Minister announced Heads of Terms with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley on 4 July.
	The Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from Welsh cities about city deals.

Northern Futures Board

Luciana Berger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the criteria were for the choice of representation on the Northern Futures Board announced on 4 July 2014.

Nicholas Clegg: As explained in my reply of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 591W, the aim of our Northern Futures initiative is to facilitate a new kind of conversation about how we rebalance our economy. We did not announce a “Northern Futures Board” on 4 July and there are no plans to create one. However, Liverpool is strongly encouraged to join the Northern Futures conversation by submitting ideas to the email address:
	northernfutures@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk

DEFENCE

Africa

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has plans to offer military support to countries in Africa facing Islamic extremism; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence has active defence engagement programmes across Africa that offer military support to African countries and institutions. The intent is to help build the capacity of African countries and institutions to handle the complex security challenges they face, including the threat posed by Islamic extremist organisations. This is achieved by delivering a range of military support including; resident training teams; short term training teams; use of our Defence Attaché network; and, the provision of academic and specialised UK military courses. We plan to continue to develop and sustain this activity.
	Key planned military support to African countries facing complex security challenges where Islamic extremism is a significant component, includes:
	The commitment we gave at the London Ministerial on security in Nigeria on 12 June 2014, to offer direct training and advice to the Nigerian forces engaged in the fight against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups. This is in addition to our ongoing assistance to Nigerian armed forces’ efforts to locate the Chibok School girls, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April;
	Sustaining the training and advisory support we provide to the African Union Mission in Somalia to assist its efforts to combat Al Shabab. We will also continue to assist in the development of a Somali National Army that can protect Somalia’s internal security and borders in the longer-term;
	Continued advice and assistance to the Libyan armed forces through the Defence Advisory and Training Team (DATT) in Tripoli; part of the UK’s £62 million Security, Justice and Defence programme. The UK has also committed to train 2,000 of the 10,000 Libyan soldiers for the General Purpose Force in conjunction with those trained by Turkey, Italy and the US. Training of the first tranche began at Bassingbourn in June 2014.
	Delivery of tactical training to the Mali armed forces through our contribution to the European Union Training Team (Mali).

Aircraft Carrier Alliance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how much contract overruns in the Aircraft Carrier Alliance have cost the public purse to date.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 November 2013, Official Report, column 399W. The Major Project Report 2013 reported the cost of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers at £6.102 billion (£6.2 Billion less assessment phase costs that do not fall under the remit of the Major Projects Report).

Alcoholic Drinks

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption (a) in general on the premises and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Anna Soubry: Consumption of alcohol on Ministry of Defence premises is permitted so long as it does not affect the proper and professional conduct of official business. Acceptable occasions might include receptions or other events held in function rooms, or staff leaving drinks.

Armed Forces: Royal Household

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been attached to the Royal Household in each year since 2010; and what the cost of such attachments has been.

Anna Soubry: Members of the armed forces are attached to the Royal Household in order to provide support to the Head of State and manage the extensive involvement and interaction of the Royal Family with the UK military at home and abroad. They also support state ceremonial events and formal, state sponsored, visits by members of the Royal Family. Information on armed forces personnel permanently attached to the Royal Household is provided in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Service personnel permanently attached to the Royal Household Approximate cost (£) 
			 2010-11 13 890,000 
			 2011-12 13 950,000 
			 2012-13 13 920,000 
			 2013-14 10 800,000

Army Medal Office

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what type of medals have been issued by the Medal Office in each year since 2010; and what the annual cost of such medals has been.

Anna Soubry: The number and types of medals and clasps that have been issued by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office between 1 January 2011 and 31 May 2014 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  2011 2012 2013 2014 
			 Type of Medal/Clasp Medal Clasp Medal Clasp Medal Clasp Medal Clasp 
			 Historic (First World War) 29 0 21 0 11 1 17 0 
			 Historic (Second World War) 8,600 256 8,307 346 8,595 315 5,149 182 
			 Post War Campaigns 2,223 131 1,707 99 1,542 96 895 75 
			 Current 17,990 182 19,096 164 13,752 122 5,817 76 
			 Conduct and Reserves 5,177 2,332 5,116 2,173 5,237 2,181 2,645 1,365 
			 Elizabeth Cross 463 0 279 0 93 0 31 0 
			 Honours and Awards 271 0 191 0 186 0 98 0 
			 Arctic Star 0 0 0 0 5,510 0 5,242 0 
			 Bomber Command Clasp 0 0 0 0 0 3,478 0 2,409 
			 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal 0 0 457,000 0 2,000 0 972 0 
			 Olympic Medallions 0 0 0 0 20,000 0 775 0 
			 Totals 37,654 494,499 63,119 25,748 
		
	
	The total gross costs incurred by the MOD Medal Office in 2011 to 31 May 2014 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Cost1 NACMO2 
			 2011 2,505,657 994,664 
			 2012 4,935,336 655,516 
			 2013 3,554,576 511,187 
			 2014 1,310,337 173,006 
			 1 The figure provided includes all medal, bullion, and actual staff pay costs for the MOD Medal Office, and excludes any Head Office/Corporate overheads. 2 It also includes Net Additional Costs of Military Operations (NACMO) which in line with HM Treasury Guidance, can be claimed back from the Treasury Reserve.

Defence Equipment and Support

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) males and (b) females have applied for the DE&S apprenticeship in each year since 2010; and what proportion of such applications have been successful.

Julian Brazier: Defence Equipment & Support currently offers Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeships at Defence Munitions (DM) Gosport and Technician Apprenticeships at its Headquarters at MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol and at HM Naval Base (HMNB) Devonport. It is planned to recruit for a further Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeship scheme at Defence Munitions Beith from August this year.
	The number of Mechanical Engineering Craft Apprenticeships awarded at DM Gosport since 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of male applicants Total number of female applicants Total number of successful male applicants Total number of successful female applicants 
			 2010 200 6 5 1 
			 2011 204 10 5 1 
			 2012 149 10 5 0 
			 2013 258 12 5 1 
			 2014 138 12 5 1 
		
	
	The hon. Member may be interested to note over the last three years (2011-13) five of the 10 Apprentice of the Year award winners have been female.
	The number of Technician Apprenticeships awarded at MOD Abbey Wood since 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of male applicants Total number of female applicants Total number of successful male applicants Total number of successful female applicants 
			 2010 1— 1— 37 7 
			 2011 370 24 36 2 
			 2012 245 15 10 3 
			 2013 260 20 47 2 
			 2014 355 29 2— 2— 
			 1 Not available 2 Not yet available. 
		
	
	The number of Technician Apprenticeships awarded at HMNB Devonport since 2010 is as follows:
	
		
			  Total number of male applicants Total number of female applicants Total number of successful male applicants Total number of successful female applicants 
			 2010 1— 1— 11 2 
			 2011 201 13 9 1 
			 2012 60 8 7 1 
			 2013 115 10 14 0 
			 2014 100 13 2— 2— 
			 1 Not available 2 Not yet available.

Dogs

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dogs owned by his Department were subject to euthanasia in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14; and what the reason was for euthanasia in each case.

Anna Soubry: Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety.
	The tables show the number of military working dogs that have been euthanised during 2012-13 and 2013-14, and the reasons for doing so:
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Reason Number 
			 Abdominal Catastrophe 4 
			 Aged - Welfare 11 
			 Cardiac Disease 1 
			 Dangerous Temperament 2 
			 Failing to maintain standards (Welfare)-the animal is not suitable for re-homing based on behaviour and temperament, with potential consequences for an individual’s welfare 4 
			 Hip Dysplasia 1 
			 Malignant Neoplasia 7 
			 Multiple Chronic Disease Processes 6 
			 Neurological Disease 5 
			 Osteoarthritis 20 
			 Total 61 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 
			 Reason Number 
			 Abdominal Catastrophe 5 
			 Aged - Welfare 7 
			 Cardiac Disease 2 
			 Chronic Gastro Intestinal Disease 2 
			 Dangerous Temperament 13 
			 Malignant Neoplasia 4 
			 Multiple Chronic Disease Processes 2 
			 Neurological Disease 8 
			 Osteoarthritis 16 
			 Total 59

Earl Clanwilliam

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met Lord Clanwilliam in the last three years.

Anna Soubry: Neither the Secretary of State for Defence nor Defence Ministers have met Lord Clanwilliam in the last three years.

Economic Policy: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to support the implementation of the Build a Prosperous and United Community agreement between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Anna Soubry: The UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive published ‘Building a Prosperous and United Community: One Year On’ on 2 July 2014. The report is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/326375/BUILDING_A_PROSPEROUS _AND_UNITED_COMMUNITY_-_ONE_YEAR_ON.pdf
	The Government is committed to exploring the potential for gifting or transferring surplus Ministry of Defence (MOD) houses to be used, subject to funding considerations and the MOD's operational security considerations, to deliver the joint objective of building a shared future for the people of Northern Ireland. The MOD has identified a number of properties from surplus accommodation that could be gifted to the Executive. These properties could be used to increase the provision of shared housing, subject to appropriate proposals being developed by the Executive.

Horses

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many horses owned by his Department were subject to euthanasia in (a) 2012-13 and 2013-14; and what the reason was for euthanasia in each case.

Anna Soubry: Decisions to euthanise any animal in military service are only taken by a veterinarian officer after all possible treatment avenues have been exhausted and where it is considered to be the most humane option for the animal. The only other scenario where an animal would be euthanised is where it is considered to pose a risk to public safety
	The tables show the number of military working horses that have been euthanised during 2012-13 and 2013-14, and the reasons for doing so:
	
		
			 2012-13 
			 Reason Number 
			 Colic 6 
			 Dangerous temperament 1 
			 Fractured tibia 2 
			 Ligament injury 1 
			 Navicular syndrome 2 
			 Navicular syndrome and arthritis 2 
			 Neoplasia 2 
			 Neurological Disease 1 
			 Osteoarthritis 4 
			 Osteoarthritis and chronic ligament injury 1 
			 Poor foot condition 1 
			 Severe rotation both front feet 1 
			 Tendon Injury 1 
			 Total 25 
		
	
	
		
			 2013-14 
			 Reason Number 
			 Chronic Lymphangitis 1 
			 Dangerous temperament 1 
			 Fractured tibia 1 
			 Ligament injury 3 
			 Navicular syndrome 2 
			 Navicular syndrome and arthritis 1 
			 Neurological Disease 1 
			 Osteoarthritis 4 
			 Poor foot condition 1 
			 Ruptured artery after treatment for injury 1 
			 Total 16

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many fires have occurred onboard each variant of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft; and what the cause was of each fire.

Philip Dunne: All aircraft variants of F-35 are currently within the Development Test phase of the overall programme. The aim of the Development Test phase is to reveal issues through testing so that solutions can be developed in order to deliver a capable aircraft to the armed forces.
	There have been no fires on board either the F-35B (short take off and vertical landing variant) or the F-35C (carrier variant).
	There have been four fires on-board the F-35A (conventional take off and landing variant) that the UK are aware of:
	The first fire was within the integrated power pack (IPP) and was due to an internal valve failure. Ground personnel extinguished the fire which resulted in minor aircraft damage. This incident lead to a minor design change.
	The second fire was as a result of a hydraulic fluid leak onto a brake assembly following landing. Ground personnel extinguished the fire which resulted in minor aircraft damage.
	The third fire was due to a hot brake condition after landing which was extinguished by ground personnel and resulted in a replacement of the wheel/tyre assembly.
	Both brake fires remain under investigation with no immediate design change being considered as necessary.
	The most recent fire occurred on 23 June 2014 at Eglin air force base during a takeoff roll. The root cause of the incident is currently being investigated.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the RAF's Joint Strike Fighter 35-Bs have all been grounded following an on-board fire on another Joint Strike Fighter; when the grounded aircraft are expected to fly again; and whether those aircraft will make the transatlantic flight to the UK this July.

Philip Dunne: All variants of F-35 aircraft, including the UK's three joint strike fighter F-35B aircraft, are currently under a grounding notice for safety reasons following a fire which occurred on an F-35A on 23 June 2014. A technical investigation is under way to determine the root cause of the incident. F-35 aircraft returned to flying on 16 July 2014. F-35 aircraft will not make a transatlantic flight to the UK this July.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions are in place in relation to the operation of Lightning II aircraft in or near lightning.

Philip Dunne: A flight restriction to avoid lightning by 25 nautical miles has been placed on all variants of F-35 until associated design tests have been successfully completed. Lightning testing is scheduled to be completed in 2015. This incremental test programme has been developed to align with the aircraft’s planned capability development and will be completed well ahead of UK Initial Operating Capability in 2018.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Lightning II's Onboard Inert Gas Generation System to be certified.

Philip Dunne: The Lightning II Onboard Inert Gas Generation System has already been certified to fly under a Military Flight Test Permit; this is an initial certification. Full certification will take place in mid 2016 when the aircraft transitions from a Military Flight Test Permit to a Release to Service clearance.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Anna Soubry: Since May 2010 the Ministry of Defence has released sufficient land and property in the UK with potential capacity for 18,010 new homes.

Lost Property

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Ministry of Defence equipment of what value was recorded as lost or stolen in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry: The value of equipment and stores written off in 2013-14 as a result of loss or suspected theft will be available once the Ministry of Defence's 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament, which is planned for the autumn 2014.

Merlin Helicopters

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many additional Merlin helicopters will be upgraded from Mk1 standard to Mk2; and what the total cost of each upgrade will be.

Philip Dunne: The Royal Navy Merlin Mk1 fleet is being modernised through the Merlin Capability Sustainment Programme. A total of 30 Merlin Mk1 helicopters are being modified to address existing and forecast avionic obsolescence and will then be known as the Merlin Mk2. The approved cost of the Demonstration and Manufacture phases of the programme is £805 million.

Military Aircraft

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 142, on military aircraft, what the main capabilities are which any future military patrol aircraft will need to possess; whether such capabilities will include (a) surveillance capabilities against (i) sub-surface, (ii) surface and (iii) land targets, (b) attack capabilities against each of those types of targets, (c) command, control and intelligence-gathering capabilities and (d) maritime rescue capabilities; and when a final decision will be taken on the mix of capabilities which will be required on a future maritime patrol aircraft;
	(2)  what different roles a multi-function maritime patrol aircraft will be required to perform.

Philip Dunne: The Air intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) Optimisation Study (AIOS) is designed to inform decisions on how future Air ISTAR capability, including maritime patrol aircraft, could be delivered. The study is ongoing and activity in the coming months will consider capability requirements and priorities against a range of policy driven scenarios. The AIOS is one of a number of ongoing strands on analysis that will contribute to the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

Military Aircraft

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a maritime patrol aircraft capability will be available for carrier taskforce protection duties by the time that HMS Queen Elizabeth joins the Fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: No decision has been taken to acquire a maritime patrol aircraft. The period from any decision to acquire to entry into service would depend on the platform selected, affordability in the Defence programme and commercial arrangements.

Military Aircraft: Safety

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Military Aviation Authority Regulatory Article 1210 replaced Ministry of Defence Business Procedure 1201 with regards to air safety.

Philip Dunne: Military Aviation Authority (MAA) Regulatory Instruction 02/11, issued on 28 January 2011, mandated a Risk Management framework to support Aviation Duty Holder decision making and replace existing procedures. This was superseded by Regulatory Article 1210 on 1 August 2011.

Morecambe

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate how much money his Department has spent in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency since May 2010.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this data. The MOD stopped making estimates of regional direct expenditure after 2007-08 as they do not directly support our policymaking or military operations.

Navy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received of damage caused by Royal Navy personnel on shore-leave during courtesy visits to foreign ports in the last three years; and what compensation for damage has been paid out following such incidents.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the funding allocated in the Defence and Equipment Plan 2013 for the procurement of new equipment will be spent on the successor nuclear deterrent programme and any redesign of the nuclear warhead.

Philip Dunne: Of the £64.5 billion referred to in the 2013 Equipment Plan we plan to allocate to the procurement of new equipment, £2.3 billion is for the successor nuclear deterrent programme in the period up to Main Gate in 2016, when a future investment decision will be made. The 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review determined that a replacement warhead would not be required until at least the late 2030s, meaning a decision to replace the existing warhead will not be required until the next Parliament. In the meantime, we are maintaining the capability at the Atomic Weapons Establishment to design a replacement warhead should that be required. Current forecasts indicate that costs should remain within the 2006 White Paper estimate: £11 billion-£14 billion for the submarine and £2 billion-£3 billion for the warhead (at 2006 economic conditions).

Official Hospitality

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on (a) entertainment and (b) the purchase of alcohol in (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14; and what estimate he has made of such spending in 2014-15.

Anna Soubry: Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment is published in the Notes to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts each year. We spent £1.527 million on this activity in 2012-13. We estimate that expenditure will be in the same region in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The figure for 2013-14 will be published in the 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts later this year. This compares with expenditure of £4.3 million in 2008-09 and £3.8 million in 2009-10 under the previous Government.
	We do not hold financial information in a form that allows us to identify expenditure on alcohol separately. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. The provision of alcoholic refreshments at public expense is authorised only in exceptional circumstances and must be modest and appropriate in nature. Expenditure on hospitality and entertainment is published in the Notes to the Ministry of Defence’s Annual Report and Accounts each year. We spent £1.527 million on this activity in 2012-13. We estimate that expenditure will be in the same region in 2013-14 and 2014-15. The figure for 2013-14 will be published in the 2013-14 Annual Report and Accounts later this year. This compares with expenditure of £4.3 million in 2008-09 and £3.8 million in 2009-10 under the previous Government.
	We do not hold financial information in a form that allows us to identify expenditure on alcohol separately. This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost. The provision of alcoholic refreshments at public expense is authorised only in exceptional circumstances and must be modest and appropriate in nature.

Photographs

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on ministerial portrait photographs in each year since 2010.

Anna Soubry: All official ministerial portrait photographs taken since 2010 have been captured by Ministry of Defence civilian and military photographers as part of their normal duties, which have incurred no additional costs.
	Official ministerial portraits, printed when a Secretary of State leaves office, are produced as part of the normal reprographic activity of the Department, incurring estimated costs of less than £10 since 2010.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

Julian Brazier: The number of contracts worth more than £1 million awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), its Trading Funds and non-executive departmental public bodies since 1 April 2010 is shown in the table below:
	
		
			  £1 million to £3 million Over £3 million 
			 MOD 888 1,089 
			 Defence Science & Technology Laboratory 62 42 
			 UK Hydrographic Office 8 8 
			 Defence Support Group 10 2 
			 Non-departmental public bodies 11 6 
			 Total 979 1,147 
		
	
	A breakdown of contracts that the MOD anticipates awarding within those value parameters is not held, but the Defence Equipment Plan 2013 gives details of our plans to spend around £164 billion over the next 10 years on new equipment, data systems and equipment support. The Equipment Plan is available on the gov.uk website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-equipment-plan-2013
	Monitoring of a contractor’s performance against contractual outputs is standard practice against all contracts and the MOD has robust project performance monitoring processes in place. Many staff have a role in monitoring contracts, including commercial officers, Project Team and finance staff, so comprehensive information on how much the MOD has spent on monitoring each contract and the number of officials involved is not held centrally. Nevertheless, there are around 1,300 staff in the commercial function across the MOD and its Trading Funds whose specific role is to manage negotiations and contracts with suppliers although this is undertaken as part of wider multidisciplinary teams that include other specialists in areas such as project management, engineering, finance and logistics.

Recruitment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on recruitment advertising (a) on television and (b) on printed materials in 2013-14.

Anna Soubry: It is a key requirement for the armed forces to maintain a satisfactory balance of skills, experience, ability and seniority in rank to enable delivery of operational requirements. Despite the reduction in overall numbers of service personnel, the requirement for the armed forces to recruit and train personnel to replace those who leave the services remains.
	Details of money spent by the Ministry of Defence in financial year (FY) 2013-14 on recruitment advertising for television and on printed materials are included in the following table. This information is broken down by service and civilian staff.
	
		
			 £ 
			  Cost of recruitment advertising on television FY 2013-141 Cost of recruitment advertising on printed materials FY 2013-142 
			 Army 1,289,367 1,067,547 
			 Royal Air Force 2,260,086 83,077 
			 Royal Navy 4,447,000 400,800 
			 Civilian staff n/a 3610,891 
			 1 Including production costs. 2 Including careers publications. 3 This figure includes the cost of recruitment advertising where the MOD has paid for a media package to advertise in a newspaper and on the publications website.

Reserve Forces

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the Annual Report on Reserve Forces as submitted by the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

Julian Brazier: The Secretary of State for Defence placed the report in the Library of the House on 15 July 2014.

Reserve Forces

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Government officials were members of the Reserve Forces in each year since 2010; and how many such officials have joined the Reserve Forces since 25 October 2013.

Julian Brazier: This information is not held in the format requested. There is currently no single method of centrally tracking the number of civil servants joining the Reserve Forces across Government, but work is ongoing to refine this process. As at 1 April 2014, rounded to the nearest 10, there were 810 Ministry of Defence civil servants who were also members of the Volunteer Reserves.

Shipbuilding

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of restructuring the shipbuilding agreement with BAE Systems.

Philip Dunne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2013, Official Report, column 696W.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many away days his Department has held for its officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014; and what the cost of each such event has been.

Anna Soubry: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department.

Anna Soubry: There has been no external expenditure on media training or social media training for the Secretary of State for Defence or the Ministers in the Department.

Training

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what professional courses officials in his Department have attended since 2010; and how many officials have attended each course.

Anna Soubry: The Defence Academy provides professional skills and knowledge courses to defence personnel. The Defence Academy course prospectus and Training and Education statistics since 2010 have been placed in the Library of the House.

Trident

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of the removal of Trident from Scotland.

Julian Brazier: The UK Government has no plans to move the strategic nuclear deterrent from Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, and has not considered options for moving the deterrent. Any alternative solution would come at huge cost to the taxpayer.

Trident

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual cost to the public purse is of retaining and basing the nuclear deterrent at Faslane and Coulport.

Philip Dunne: The cost of retaining the nuclear deterrent at Faslane and Coulport cannot be separately identified from expenditure incurred for multiple activities at Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde.

Trident Missiles

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department will spend on the D-5 missile life extension programme in each of the next five years.

Philip Dunne: Forecast and planned expenditure on the D5 missile life extension programme for the current and next financial years (FY) are as follows:
	FY 2014-15-£27.1 million (Forecast)
	FY 2015-16-£35.0 million (Planned)
	Spending plans for 2016-17 and beyond have not yet been agreed and will be set as part of the Government's spending review process. Therefore, I am withholding details of the proposed spending beyond 2015-16 as to release this information would be likely to impact upon the formulation of Government policy.

Veterans

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward legislative proposals to support former armed services' personnel to readjust to civilian life by providing (a) low cost mortgages, (b) low interest loans to start a business, (c) payment of tuition fees and living expenses for university or vocational educational and (d) health care bespoke to individual needs.

Anna Soubry: There are no plans to introduce such legislation. As Lord Ashcroft highlighted in his recent review of transition arrangements, the measures we already have in place ensure that the vast majority of Service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life. Among many others, these measures include:
	resettlement and career assistance from the Ministry of Defence funded Career Transition Partnership;
	funding for nationally recognised qualifications through Enhanced Learning Credits and;
	a range of schemes to help veterans and their families secure appropriate accommodation, detailed in the answer I gave on 28 April 2014, Official Report, columns 442-43W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Adam Afriyie).
	Healthcare provided by the national health service is already bespoke to individual needs, and reflects the aspirations of the armed forces covenant.

Warships: Construction

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on where naval vessels should be constructed after 2014.

Philip Dunne: The Ministry of Defence procures naval vessels in accordance with EU procurement regulations. The procurement of complex warships and submarines is covered by an exemption to these regulations, Article 346 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows any EU member state to take measures to protect its essential security interests. We will give full regard to our national security interests beyond 2014, using exemptions under Article 346 as appropriate.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Clerk of the House

Simon Burns: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the names are of the candidates who have been short-listed for consideration for the position of Clerk of the House and Chief Executive; and what the country of residence of each such candidate is.

John Thurso: Three candidates are currently shortlisted. It is not the Commission's practice to disclose confidential personal information, including names of applicants for positions.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Africa

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to reduce the cost of sending remittances to Africa.

Justine Greening: DFID is supporting the development of payments infrastructure, with a focus on digitisation to reduce the cost of sending remittances to developing countries including in Africa.
	DFID is also working through the Action Group on Cross Border Remittances to prevent a reduction in competition in UK remittance markets, which could increase sending costs. Information on the Action Group can be found at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/helping-developing-countries-economies-to-grow/supporting-pages/enabling-the-continued-flow-of-remittances

Burma

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received of an increase in death rates in camps for the Rohingya following the expulsion of MSF and other agencies from Rakhine State, Burma.

Lynne Featherstone: There have been a number of deaths in Rohingya camps since March. We have not received any reports of an increase in the rate during this period but the situation remains of urgent concern. The Ministry of Health and NGOs have been providing some primary health care in the IDP camps, but there continue to be barriers to access, particularly to hospital level care for Rohingya, and this remains a key concern for us. We continue to advocate with all levels of Government on this issue.

Developing Countries: Education

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will support proposals to amend the goal on education to provide free, equitable and inclusive quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: The UK supports a stand-alone education goal in the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning opportunities for all.
	The final goal and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that particular attention to the most marginalised and people in vulnerable situations is specifically referenced in the language of the targets and goals in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Justine Greening: The UK, through our Troika, have made statements in the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals on the importance of monitoring progress for marginalised groups across the targets and “leaving no one behind” as an overarching principle for the post 2015 framework.
	The final goals and targets in the post-2015 development framework will be subject to international negotiations in the United Nations, in which the UK will play an active role.

Green Climate Fund

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  when the Government plans to announce the UK's contribution to the Green Climate Fund; and whether that contribution will be, proportionately, in accord with the funding being sought by the Fund for its initial resource mobilisation;
	(2)  if she will ensure that the UK's financial contribution to the Green Climate Fund is announced at the Climate Summit in September 2014.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government considers all resource mobilisations in terms of impact and value for money for the British taxpayer. Any announcements are timed to encourage international donors to step up to the plate.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much land her Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID has not released any land for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels her Department funds.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID’s communications team subscribes to following magazines:
	The Economist: £136 per annum
	The Spectator: £129 per annum
	The New Statesman: £92 per annum
	The New Scientist: £149 per annum
	Private Eye: £28 per annum
	Marketing Magazine: £155 per annum
	PR Week: £99.50 per annum
	PR Week Global: £119.50 per annum
	A figure for magazine subscriptions across the entire Department cannot be compiled from our accounting records without incurring disproportionate cost.
	Television channels are paid for via the Parliamentary feed. DFID pays £6,728.90 each year for maintenance of the Parliamentary TV system and £13,500 a year for rental of the telecomms link from 22 Whitehall to the Palace of Westminster.

Middle East

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports she has received on projects in Gaza funded by (a) her Department and (b) the EU which have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli military hardware in July 2014; and what representations she has made to the Israeli government on this matter.

Lynne Featherstone: Assessments are still under way as to the extent of any damage to UK or EU funded projects.

Overseas Aid: Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times her Department has referred cases of suspected bribery, fraud or money laundering concerning UK aid money to (a) the Serious Fraud Office and (b) the Crown Prosecution Service since 2009-10.

Justine Greening: It is not the policy of this Department to comment on Serious Fraud Office or Crown Prosecution Service matters.

Overseas Aid: Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library any correspondence her Department has received from the Serious Fraud Office on what steps it is taking to investigate reports referred to it by her Department that UK aid may have been channelled via CDC Group and Energy Capital Partners into companies linked to James Ibori; and if she will make a statement.

Justine Greening: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her by the Solicitor-General on 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 592W.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials employed by her Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Lynne Featherstone: The number of DFID staff who have remained in the same grade since 2010, but have received a pay rise is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Grade Number of staff 
			 AA 7 
			 AO 40 
			 EO 48 
			 HEO 55 
			 SEO 24 
			 G7 91 
			 G6 84 
			 SCS 29 
			 Total 378 
		
	
	The Government announced a pay freeze in 2010 which meant that all pay scales for DFID were frozen for two years (2011 and 2012) except for those earning less than the full-time equivalent of £21,000. In 2013 and 2014 increases to pay scales were restricted to an average 1% cost of living increase.
	All staff below the SCS within DFID have a contractual right to pay progression. Throughout the period from 2010 those staff not at the top of their pay range received an annual incremental increase.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts (a) her Department and (b) its non-departmental public body (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much her Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in her Department monitor each contract.

Justine Greening: Under this Government’s transparency programme, contracts and future contract pipeline information is published on Contracts Finder which is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	The cost and number of officials required to monitor each contract undertaken by my Department is specific to each individual contract.

Remittances

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to meet the commitment made by the G20 heads of state in the final declaration of the Cannes Summit in November 2011 to reduce the average cost of transferring remittances to 5 per cent by 2014; and what assessment she made of the likelihood of the UK meeting this commitment.

Justine Greening: The UK is contributing to the achievement of the 5% target by supporting the development of payments infrastructure, with a focus on digitisation to reduce transaction costs.
	We also support piloting and scaling up mobile banking through a Technology Programme for Branchless Banking which is co-funded with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Master Card Foundation and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP). As of December 2013, the Programme has helped an estimated 31 million poor people globally to access financial services.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many awaydays her Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Lynne Featherstone: Away days for Department for International Development (DFID) staff are overwhelmingly undertaken on DFID or Other Government Department premises where there is little or no cost involved.
	Information on the number of DFID officials attending away days and the costs incurred is not held centrally and precise information is not readily available.

SCOTLAND

Billing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has made no duplicate supplier payments since 2010.

Buildings

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) his Department and (ii) buildings owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not own any buildings and the buildings it occupies do not have gymnasiums, leisure facilities or cafeterias. The cost of interior decoration in these buildings was £8,453 in 2012-13 and £22,939.72 in 2013-14.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not own any land and has not done so since its creation in 1999.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office funds subscriptions to the following periodicals: The Scottish Farmer, The Economist, and Civil Service World. The Scotland Office does not pay any subscriptions to TV channels.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on an assignment, loan or secondment from other Public Sector bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice, who remain the employers. Staff terms and conditions of service, including pay awards and payroll administration is a matter for the parent employers. The office does not hold information in the form requested.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much and what proportion of his Department's budget was spent on activities which were contracted out in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12, (d) 2012-13 and (e) 2013-14; and how much and what proportion of his Department's budget he expects to be contracted out in 2014-15.

David Mundell: Since its creation in July 1999, the Scotland Office has contracted out work in cleaning, building repairs and maintenance and security guarding. Calculating how much and what proportion of the Office's budget was spent on these activities in each year between 2009-10 and 2014-15 could be done only by incurring disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

David Mundell: As part of my Department’s transparency programme, any spend over £25,000 is available on the Department’s website. Since January 2011, all contracts over £10,000 in value are published on Contracts Finder:
	http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk/

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has held no awaydays in 2013 or 2014 to date.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office has not spent anything on (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) the Secretary of State and (ii) other Ministers in the Department since May 2010.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Steve Webb: During normal working hours staff must not consume alcohol on departmental premises. However, there is no prohibition of alcohol and occasionally Ministers and the Permanent Secretary host events for staff in recognition of particular achievements. Alcohol may be provided at such events and will normally be paid for by the relevant Minister or the Permanent Secretary.

Billing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by his Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

Steve Webb: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Disability Living Allowance

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of disability living allowance (DLA) have failed to make a claim for personal independence payment within the 28-day claim period notice after receiving a letter from his Department in each month since October 2013; and how many such claimants also failed to register a claim during the subsequent 28-day extension period during which their DLA payments were suspended.

Mark Harper: The information you have requested is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of initiating payment of employment and support allowance (ESA) at the assessment rate; what the annual cost is of maintaining an existing claim for ESA; and what the cost is of closing a claim for ESA.

Mark Harper: The information is tabled as follows:
	
		
			 £ 
			  Operating cost Unit cost 
			 ESA Claims 21,639,678.74 25.09 
			 ESA Changes 52,547,108.49 10.89 
		
	
	The cost of initiating payment of employment and support allowance (ESA) at the assessment rate is provided in ESA claims. We have provided the annual costs for 2013-14 and the unit costs. The unit cost is the average cost of one ESA claim through the process.
	The annual cost of maintaining an existing claim for ESA would be provided in ESA changes. We have provided the annual cost for 2013-14 and the unit costs. The unit cost is the average cost of one ESA change being made.
	The cost of closing an ESA claim is included in the ESA change costs and cannot be extracted separately.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Youth Contract wage incentive payments made since April 2012 have related to work activity of (a) over 30 hours' duration and (b) between 16 to 29 hours' duration per week.

Esther McVey: The information is not available.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people for whom Youth Contract wage incentives have been paid since April 2012 have been (a) male, (b) female, (c) disabled and (d) Black and minority ethnic.

Esther McVey: The information is not available.

Flexible Support Fund

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many jobseekers were supported through the Flexible Support Fund in 2013; and what proportion of such were (a) men, (b) under 25 years old and (c) over 50 years old.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not readily available and there would be a disproportionate cost to collate this information.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much in housing benefit has been paid to private sector landlords in London in each year since 2010.

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Housing benefit expenditure in the private rented sector in Greater London 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 £ million, nominal 2,496 2,686 2,631 
			 £ million, 2014-15 prices 2,686 2,826 2,738 
			 Notes: 1. Benefit expenditure is available for financial years only. 2. The last period for which a full year of expenditure is available is 2012-13. Figures for 2013-14 will be published later in the year. 3. Figures at 2014-15 prices are deflated using GDP deflators published following the 2014 Budget, and published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299805/GDP_Deflators_Qtrly_National_Accounts_March_2014_update.xls 4. Expenditure data shown here for 2012-13 may differ slightly from published expenditure information due to more up to date local authority data received after the data had been published. 5. Prior to April 2011, a tenant in the private sector claiming housing benefit subject to local housing allowance (LHA) restrictions could receive up to £15 excess if their rent was below the applicable LHA rate for the given area and property size entitlement. This entitlement was removed from April 2011 for new claims to housing benefit. Existing HB claimants in receipt of the excess had this entitlement removed on the anniversary of their claim after April 2011. The expenditure figures shown above include payments relating to the £15 excess which would have been paid to claimants rather than landlords. We are unable to reliably isolate these amounts in the data. Source: Local authority statistical data and subsidy returns.

Housing Benefit: Greater London

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure on housing benefit in London was in each year since 2010.

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Total housing benefit expenditure in Greater London 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 £ million, nominal 5,539 5,890 6,081 
		
	
	
		
			 £ million, 2014-15 prices 5,961 6,198 6,327 
			 Notes: 1. Benefit expenditure is available for financial years only. 2. The last period for which a full year of expenditure is available is 2012-13. Figures for 2013-14 will be published later in the year. 3. Figures at 2014-15 prices are deflated using GDP deflators published following the 2014 Budget, and published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299805/GDP_Deflators_Qtrly_National_Accounts_March_2014_update.xls 4. Expenditure data shown here for 2012-13 may differ slightly from published expenditure information due to more up to date local authority data received after the data had been published. Source: Local authority subsidy returns.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Jobcentre Plus workclub schemes are in operation; and how many such clubs were established in each year since 2010.

Esther McVey: The information is not available.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims for jobseeker’s allowance made by (a) men and (b) women in the first quarter of 2014 were made within six months of a previous claim ending.

Esther McVey: holding answer 10 July 2014
	451,207 men and 174,733 women have claimed jobseeker’s allowance between 1 January and 31 March 2014 where they had ended a jobseeker’s claim in the previous six months.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of processing a new claim for jobseekers’ allowance; what the cost is of a jobseekers' allowance interview; and what the annual cost is of maintaining an existing claim for jobseekers’ allowance.

Esther McVey: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Unit cost (£) 
			 JSA claims 13.72 
			 JSA NJI advice 20.37 
		
	
	DWP does not carry information on the annual cost of maintaining an existing claim.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Steve Webb: To provide this information would incur disproportionate costs.
	For 2012 and 2013, because of the nature of the awards applied to delegated grades, staff would have received a 1% increase on base pay whether they remained in grade or were promoted during the year subject to standard eligibility criteria.
	DWP does not have contractual progression. All our employees are subject to the pay freeze and pay caps in place since 2010. In May 2010 the Government announced a two-year pay freeze for civil servants earning over £21,000. The pay freeze applied to this Department in 2010 and 2011.
	For staff earning under £21,000, for both 2010 and 2011 DWP awarded staff a flat rate increase by grade of between £400 and £540. Additionally during 2010 the AA band minimum was increased by between £890 and £1,060 (depending on location) which led to a slightly higher increase for some staff. Following Cabinet Office rules, a small number who earned just over £21,000 received smaller payments, using a taper system, to ensure that they were not ‘leapfrogged’ by peers slightly lower down the pay scale.
	In 2012 and 2013 DWP awarded a 1% increase to the vast majority of our staff across all delegated grades. DWP will again be paying the majority of our employees a 1% increase in 2014.
	For SCS in DWP the pay freeze was in place for three years from 2010 to 2012. In 2013 DWP paid around 22% of its SCS cadre increases within an overall 1% cap and with a Cabinet Office limit on individual awards of 9%. The majority of our SCS will not have received a pay award between 2010 and 2013.
	Figures for the 2014 SCS and delegated pay awards will not be available until they have been processed at the end of this month.
	Notes:
	1. Because of the numbers involved we are unable to provide information tracking every individual’s pay rise over the period within time and cost perimeters.
	2. DWP currently employs 92,510 people and we are not able to provide details for each of these individuals. However, as DWP has applied a simple pay award over each of the years required I am able to summarise our position.
	3. The PQ asks for information on pay rises exclusive of changes in grade (most usually promotion). By providing information on pay awards, we will be excluding a small number of pay rises which are due to other factors such as a move to a location which attracts a higher salary (DWP has four locational pay zones). It also excludes salary increases as a result of a change in contractual hours.
	4. The 2014 pay award will be paid in July salaries. We will not have details of final figures until this has been processed.
	5. A small number of individuals are not eligible to receive the pay award e.g. because they are undergoing formal poor performance action in a particular year or are on a salary above the appropriate pay scale maximum.

Personal Independence Payment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of personal independence payments have received payments in arrears following a suspension totalling (a) £0-1,000, (b) £1,000-£2,000, (c) £2,000-£3,000, (d) £3,000-£4,000 and (e) more than £4,000 in each month since October 2013.

Mark Harper: The information you have requested is not held by the Department.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Steve Webb: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Supplier 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 G4S Group 81,433 17,951,654 32,123,087 46,377,724 
			 Serco Group plc 73,458,641 29,569,238 45,457,786 58,823,106 
			 Sodexo Ltd 0 685 2,895 558 
			 GEO Amey 0 0 0 0 
			 Capita Group plc 57,821,217 40,754,470 42,255,394 50,702,838 
			 Atos Origin UK Ltd 150,589,213 143,524,261 146,857,967 102,646,905 
			 Mitie Managed Services 4,889 859 648 20,277 
			 Working Links — 85,337,045 54,253,693 78,302,405 
			 Action for Employment 175,360,690 89,243,572 75,616,533 104,396,574 
			 MTC Amey 0 0 0 0 
			 GEO Group 0 0 0 0 
			 Carillion 923 0 0 11,339

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Steve Webb: I refer to the reply given on 3 February 2014, Official Report, column 109W, to the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant). There has been no expenditure on social media training for any Ministers in the Department.

Unemployed People: Mental Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what current programmes and pilots his Department has in place to improve the mental health of unemployed people; and what the results have been of such programmes and pilots.

Mark Harper: Many benefit claimants with mental health problems will be referred to, or have access to, a range of support including the Work Programme or specialist disability employment programmes such as Work Choice and Access to Work.
	The Work Programme Prime and specialist providers’ industry-led expert group led action to build organisational and workforce capability to recognise and address mental health needs in an employment context.
	This expert group designed an employment adviser toolkit Working for Wellbeing to help Work Programme employment advisers spot when mental wellbeing support can help a jobseeker achieve their employment goal, and have worked with providers to share best practice in working with specialist mental health organisations.
	7,000 claimants with mental health or behavioural disorders listed as their primary health condition have achieved job outcomes through the Work Programme.
	Work Choice is a specialist pan-disability employment programme that provides tailored support to help disabled people who face the most complex barriers to employment find and stay in work and ultimately help them progress into unsupported employment, where it is appropriate for the individual.
	Since the start of the 2011-12 financial year (and up to 31 March 2014), around 21 per cent of Work Choice customers achieving job outcomes through Work Choice have had a mental health problem recorded as their primary disability. The trend over these 3 years shows that the numbers being supported are increasing each year.
	The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service was established in December 2011 and is delivered by Remploy Employment Services.
	It can offer support to individuals with mental health problems who are absent from work or finding work difficult. The service supports those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or other mental health issues that are affecting their work.
	In the last year, 92% of people who have completed a programme of support with the MHSS are still sustaining work after 26 weeks. Employer engagement is a key element of the service.
	This year the Government is also taking forward a number of feasibility pilots to explore how to improve employment and health outcomes for people with common mental health problems. These are based on the recommendations made by RAND Europe in their report Psychological Wellbeing and Work: Improving Service Provision and Outcomes, which was published in January. Early findings will be available next year.

Unemployed People: Mental Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a pilot project to investigate the potential to improve employability of unemployed people through mindfulness interventions.

Esther McVey: We currently have no plans to introduce a pilot project to investigate the impact of mindfulness interventions on the employment outcomes of unemployed people. However, Jobcentre Plus districts already have the flexibility to secure support to meet the needs of claimants in their local area using the Flexible Support Fund—this could include mindfulness interventions.
	This year the Government is taking forward a number of feasibility pilots to explore how to improve employment and health outcomes for people with common mental health problems. These are based on the recommendations made by RAND Europe in their report “Psychological Wellbeing and Work: Improving Service Provision and Outcomes”, which was published in January. Early findings will be available next year.

Unemployed People: Mental Illness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of people out of work suffer from (a) mental health disorder and (b) depression; and what proportion of them have been treated with (i) anti-depressants, (ii) talking therapies and (iii) mindfulness.

Mark Harper: The Department for Work and Pensions does not hold information on the proportion of people out of work with a mental health disorder or depression, nor the proportion treated with anti-depressants, talking therapies and/or mindfulness.
	However, 11% of out-of-work adults report having “Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” or “Mental illness, phobia, panics and other nervous disorders”. This is against a reported 3% of those in work (Annual Population Survey, April 2013 – March 2014, GB residents aged 16+).

Unemployment: Older People

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the reasons for trends in long-term unemployment among people over 50.

Esther McVey: The number of people aged 50-64 in work has risen by over 300,000 in the last year. This is likely to reflect the recovery in the economy together with the effect of welfare reform and the equalisation of state pension age. There are nearly 150,000 fewer people aged 50-64 without a job than a year ago. Some of this has been reflected in lower economic inactivity, as more people enter or remain in the labour force, but unemployment and long-term unemployment have also fallen on the year.
	On 13 June 2014, the DWP published Fuller Working Lives-A Framework for Action
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-working-lives-a-framework-for-action
	which explains how working longer can benefit individuals, businesses, society and the economy. It sets out a number of new actions to help people have fuller working lives. A Business Champion for older workers has also been appointed, tasked with making the case for older workers within the business community and challenging outdated perceptions.

Universal Credit

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information is required by his Department to allow the payment of universal credit into a credit union account; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: Universal credit can currently be paid into a credit union current account and claimants would need to provide an individual account number and sort code. We plan to be in a position to make UC payments into any type of credit union account at a future date.

Universal Credit

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place to allow for the payment of universal credit to those without a bank or building society account; and if he will make a statement.

Esther McVey: For those without a bank or building society, the Department can pay universal credit into a credit union current account, Post Office card account or by Simple Payment.
	A Simple Payment is a cash transfer service, which has been designed to pay those people who DWP cannot pay into any type of account.

Universal Credit

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are in place to allow people who do not have access to a computer or the internet to claim universal credit; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Support is available through our own jobcentre network where we are introducing 6,000 additional web access devices to improve digital access by autumn. Claimants can be given access to the internet through these devices to make a claim and support will be given where necessary if they are not familiar with digital services.
	DWP already works in partnership with local authorities who can also provide digital access and digital support for claimants through existing outlets.
	DWP also provides a telephony service to support those unable to use the digital channel.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claiming universal credit since April 2013 have been referred to the Work programme.

Esther McVey: The information requested is not currently available.
	The Department published its strategy for releasing official statistics on universal credit (UC) in September 2013 which can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics
	As outlined in the strategy, officials are currently quality assuring data for UC therefore it is not yet possible to give a definitive list of what statistics will be provided in the future. These statistics, however, will be published in accordance with the relevant protocols in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
	The latest official experimental statistics on UC can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics

Work Capability Assessment: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Lancashire constituency have waited more than nine months to receive a work capability assessment interview in the last three years.

Mark Harper: This information is not reported to us by Atos.

Work Programme: Ayr

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people from Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock constituency have secured employment through the Work Programme in each of the last 12 months.

Esther McVey: Information on job starts from the Work Programme is not available.
	The available information on Job Outcomes is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of Work Programme Job Outcomes in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Parliamentary Constituency for each of the last 12 months: April 2013 – March 2014 
			  Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Parliamentary Constituency 
			 April 2013 30 
			 May 2013 10 
			 June 2013 30 
			 July 2013 20 
			 August 2013 20 
			 September 2013 40 
			 October 2013 30 
			 November 2013 30 
			 December 2013 30 
			 January 2014 20 
			 February 2014 20 
			 March 2014 30

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney-General what the Law Officers' Departments' policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Robert Buckland: There is no prohibition of alcohol in the Law Officers’ Departments. This includes ministerial and official Private Offices.

Animal Welfare: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions the Crown Prosecution Service has carried out for (a) dog-fighting and (b) badger persecution in each of the last five financial years.

Robert Buckland: Prosecutions for dog-fighting and badger persecution are conducted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and Protection of Badgers Act 1992 respectively. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number or prosecutions for ‘dog-fighting’ conducted under the Animal Welfare Act. To obtain this information would require a manual file examination at disproportionate cost.
	The number of offences charged under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 1(1) } Wilfully kill a badger 1 2 9 6 0 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 1(1) } Attempt to kill a badger 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 1(1) } Attempt to take a badger 4 0 0 7 3 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 1(1) and 12 } Wilfully taking a badger 0 0 0 0 3 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 1(3) and 12 } Possess a dead/part of a dead badger 0 1 2 1 0 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 2(1) and 12 } Digging for badgers 0 0 8 18 6 
			 Protection of Badgers Act 1992 { 3 } Interfering with badger setts 18 23 24 38 19 
			 Total 24 26 43 70 31 
		
	
	These are offences which reached a first hearing in the magistrates court and the substantive charge when the case was finalised may have been different. It does preclude the possibility that other offences relating to badgers may have been charged under other legislation.

Children: Abuse

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many local authorities have adopted the new Crown Prosecution Service model disclosure protocol for cases of child abuse.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not centrally record the number of local authorities that have adopted the national disclosure Protocol. However inquiries of CPS Areas indicate that 82 local authorities have signed a local protocol to date, which is the principal method for implementation of the national protocol.

Court Orders

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many wasted cost orders were made (a) in favour and (b) against the Crown Prosecution Service in (i) 2013-14 and (ii) each of the previous three financial years.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain a central record of the number of wasted cost orders made in favour of, or against, the prosecution. To obtain this information would require a manual file examination incurring a disproportionate cost.

CPS Direct

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many and what proportion of charging decisions made by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2013-14 and each of the previous five financial years were made by CPS Direct.

Robert Buckland: The number and proportion of charging decisions made by CPS Direct in 2013-14 and each of the previous five financial years are as follows:
	
		
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Number of finalised pre-charge decisions 532,427 477,517 466,611 367,067 299,345 298,077 
			 Number of finalised pre-charge decisions made by CPS Direct 138,946 130,672 158,775 140,163 140,096 233,094 
			 Proportion of finalised pre-charge decisions made by CPS Direct (%) 26.1 27.4 34.0 38.2 46.8 78.2 
		
	
	Up to the end of 2012-13, CPS Direct was a purely out of hours service (though assisting the daytime area-based service during part of 2012-13). Since April 2013, CPS Direct has been a full 24/7 service and has also been piloting digital as well as telephone referral of cases.

Criminal Proceedings

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General in what proportion of criminal cases of each type of offence charging decisions were made by the police in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The proportion of charging decisions made by the police for each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Homicide1 10.4 11.6 9.5 13.7 9.4 
			 Offences against the person 25.9 25.2 33.5 41.1 40.0 
			 Sexual offences 18.2 16.3 15.4 18.9 17.8 
			 Burglary 32.5 31.3 31.3 32.0 31.2 
			 Robbery 16.1 15.2 10.2 12.7 12.7 
			 Theft and handling 70.7 71.9 77.1 81.8 84.9 
			 Fraud and forgery 25.8 25.2 35.5 40.3 40.0 
			 Criminal damage 53.6 54.2 62.8 66.6 65.4 
			 Drugs offences 65.0 65.2 67.2 68.1 67.3 
			 Public order offences 66.4 65.8 71.4 75.1 76.0 
		
	
	
		
			 All other offences (excluding motoring) 66.6 65.6 69.2 70.9 69.7 
			 Motoring offences 95.7 96.1 97.1 98.0 97.6 
			 1 In previous years ‘threats to kill’ offences were included in the Homicide category and were therefore charged by the police in anticipated guilty plea cases. Despite the change, some such cases may continue to be recorded in this way.

Fraud

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions in 2013-14 the Serious Fraud Office either referred or recommended that a complainant refer a case of alleged fraud, bribery or money-laundering by a UK company to (a) another police force, (b) another UK regulator, (c) an agency in the US and (d) an agency in an overseas jurisdiction other than the US.

Robert Buckland: The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) receives a large number of direct complaints each year and in appropriate circumstances the SFO will recommend that the complainants refer the matter to another agency.
	In 2013-14, the SFO referred 2,945 complainants to Action Fraud or to the police. The SFO does not record how many of these complaints relate to UK companies only.
	The table shows the number of formal referrals made by the SFO during 2013-14to police forces, regulators and to agencies in the US and in other jurisdictions. The SFO does not record whether referrals relate to UK companies only.
	
		
			  Police UK regulator US agency Overseas agency 
			 2013-14 26 9 0 0

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Attorney-General how much land the Law Officers' Departments have released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Robert Buckland: The Law Officers’ Departments have not released any land for this purpose since 2010. The Crown Prosecution Service is the only Department which actually owns any property and its estate is very small.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney-General what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels the Law Officers' Departments fund.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney-General's Department has a contract with the Parliamentary Television Service. The other Law Officers' Departments do not have any television subscriptions.
	A table listing the online and print magazines subscribed to by the Law Officer's Departments has been deposited in the Library of the House. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate do not have any magazine subscriptions.

Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of Crown Prosecution Service cases in the magistrates courts were prosecuted by (a) Crown prosecutors and (b) paralegals in each of the last five years.

Robert Buckland: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number or proportion of individual prosecutions conducted by Crown prosecutors or Associate prosecutors (paralegals) in magistrates courts. To obtain these details would require a manual exercise of reviewing individual case files to be undertaken at a disproportionate cost.

Prostitution: Prosecutions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General in how many Crown Prosecution Service prosecutions of prostitution offences in 2013-14 the accused was an (a) alleged prostitute, (b) alleged pimp or brothel-keeper and (c) individual accused of seeking or using the services of a prostitute.

Robert Buckland: In 2013-14, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) records indicate that there were 55 charges for the offence of keeping a brothel, contrary to sections 33-36 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 which reached a first hearing in the magistrates court. This does not indicate the number of individuals prosecuted as a defendant may be charged with more than one offence.
	CPS have no record of any prosecutions in 2013-14 under Section 53A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, as amended by Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, which enables individuals accused of seeking or using the services of a prostitute to be prosecuted.
	To obtain further details of the number of cases in which defendants were alleged to be prostitutes, pimps or brothel keepers, would require a manual review of individual case files which could be undertaken only at a disproportionate cost.

Sick Leave

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General what the average number of sick days per staff member was at the (a) Crown Prosecution Service and (b) Serious Fraud Office in 2013-14 and each of the five preceding years.

Robert Buckland: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			 Number 
			 Department 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 8.5 9 8.9 8.5 9 8.8 
			 Serious Fraud Office 11.2 9.8 11.2 8.8 7 5.1

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Attorney-General how many awaydays the Law Officers' Departments have held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Robert Buckland: The Attorney-General’s Office held an awayday in each of 2013 and 2014, but at zero cost.
	The Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol) Board held an all day off-site business meeting in June 2014. Some TSol teams have similarly held off-site business meetings details of which are not held centrally.
	HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has not held any awaydays during this period.
	The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) held an awayday for its senior management team on 26-27 November 2013. The SFO has not held any other awaydays for staff in 2013 and 2014 to date.
	The Crown Prosecution Service does not centrally record the number of awaydays which its staff may have attended and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

WALES

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Stephen Crabb: There is no prohibition of alcohol in my Department. This includes ministerial and official Private Offices.

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the annual cost to his Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Crabb: The stationery and postage costs incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members is not separately identifiable from general office stationery and postage costs.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Stephen Crabb: This information could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Stephen Crabb: As part of my Department’s transparency programme, any spend over £500 is available on the Department’s website. Since January 2011, all contracts over £10,000 in value are published on Contracts Finder:
	http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk/

EDUCATION

Vocational Education: Employers

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she has taken to involve employers in devising vocational education; and if she will make a statement.

Nicholas Boles: Employers now have a vital role to play in designing and endorsing qualifications. From this September, ‘Employer recognition’ is required if a qualification is to count in school or college performance tables.

Revised Funding Formula: Schools

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what her proposals are for the adoption of a revised funding formula for schools.

David Laws: We remain committed to the introduction of a national funding formula after the next spending review, when we can give certainty to schools about how the formula will affect them over a number of years. In the meantime, our allocation of an extra £390 million to the least fairly-funded local authorities in the country will make a real difference to those local authorities, such as Warrington, that gain from the proposals.
	According to our indicative figures, Warrington will gain an additional £500,000 in 2015-16.

Attainment Gap

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what progress her Department has made on closing the attainment gap between pupils receiving free school meals and others; and if she will make a statement.

David Laws: The gap between free school meals (FSM) pupils and others achieving Level 4 or above in key stage 2 reading and mathematics has narrowed from 19.3 to 16.2 percentage points between 2011 and 2013. The gap in FSM pupils and others achieving at least five A*-C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics has narrowed from 27.4 to 26.7 percentage points over the same period.
	The most recent Ofsted assessment is that school leaders are spending the pupil premium more effectively than at any time since the funding was introduced in 2011. Of 151 schools in the assessment, the attainment gap between free school meal pupils and their peers was closing, sometimes quite quickly, in all 86 schools judged by Ofsted to be good or outstanding. Gaps are also closing, albeit more slowly, in two thirds of the 50 sampled schools rated ‘requires improvement’.

Academies

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many academy brokers there are; and how much her Department has spent on academy brokers in the last financial year.

Edward Timpson: There are currently 34 academy brokers. The Department for Education spent £3,031,794.39 on academy brokers in 2013-14.

Academies

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what checks the Education Funding Agency makes on the quality of auditors and others taking professional fees for services provided to academies.

Edward Timpson: As companies and charitable trusts, academy trusts are required to appoint independent auditors to report on their financial statements. It is for the academy trust to manage the contract for their services.
	Auditors are qualified accountants and regulated by their professional institutes. The institutes undertake a programme of quality assurance visits to ensure firms are operating in accordance with expected professional standards. The outcomes of these reviews are publicly available.
	The Education Funding Agency (EFA) supplements the various institute regulatory regimes with:
	reviews of academy trusts’ audited financial statements, the associated audit reports on these and auditor management letters. The EFA follows up significant issues with individual trusts and their auditors;
	regular attendance at sector training events and delivery of online presentations/webinars for auditors on the key issues arising from reviews, to help ensure they are aware of the requirements expected of them and key risk areas; and
	responding to auditor queries received through the academy questions mailbox.
	Other professional services provided to academy trusts will also be regulated by their relevant institute body, e.g. the Law Society.

Academies and Free Schools

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what guidance her Department has issued to free schools on the role of teaching assistants and school support staff;
	(2)  what guidance her Department has issued to academies on the role of teaching assistants and school support staff.

Edward Timpson: The Government believes that free schools and academies should have the freedom to organise themselves without unnecessary guidance from the Department for Education. This includes allowing head teachers to use their professional judgment to recruit and develop support staff in a way that best meets the needs of the school and learners.

Academies: Land

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 75W, on academies: land, what (a) amount of public investment and degree of enhancement, (b) amount of private investment and degree of enhancement, (c) length of time the land has been in public use and (d) value of land at the date of determination would trigger a determination in order to protect the public investment in land where it ceases to be used by an academy.

Edward Timpson: All disposals of publicly funded land by an academy would be judged on their individual merits and the Department for Education places no absolute thresholds in such cases. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Nicky Morgan) would expect to balance the considerations listed against the circumstances under which the land in question is being disposed, and the future plans for it following disposal.
	Guidance on academy land transfers is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment _data/file/254887/land_transfer_advice_april_2013.pdf

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what her Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education’s conduct policy gives clear guidance on standards of behaviour expected from staff.
	It applies to all employees regardless of their team, office or position in the Department.

Buildings

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) her Department and (ii) buildings owned by her Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has not spent any money on refurbishing gymnasium and leisure facilities, cafeterias and interior decoration during 2013 and 2014 to date.
	Between 2006 and 2010, the previous Government spent £14.2 million refurbishing Sanctuary Buildings.

Business: Education

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the potential value of the Careers Lab programme and the recommendations of its recent report, Inspiring the Next Generation, to her Department’s skills policy.

Edward Timpson: We are creating a better skills system that is led by employers with more relevant, respected qualifications and an emphasis on young people acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. This approach is reflected in the Government’s policy on careers guidance, which centres on schools and colleges building stronger links with employers to inspire and motivate young people about the world of work.
	More employers are getting involved by offering coaching, mentoring, work tasters and work experience to ensure that pupils can access careers advice from people with experience of business. Careers Lab is an example of this employer-led approach.
	In the report, ‘Inspiring the next generation’, the recommendations for government focus on the importance of holding schools to account for the destinations of students and the need to set quality standards to help schools judge which career initiatives are worthwhile. The Government has communicated its expectations to schools on both of these areas. New statutory guidance and departmental advice on careers guidance and inspiration, effective from September, provides a framework for schools and paints a clear picture of what high quality careers guidance looks like. This incorporates information about the quality assurance of any external organisations that schools plan to work with.
	The guidance is clear that schools will now be held to account for the outcomes for their students through destination measures. Ofsted will take greater account of the quality of careers guidance and of students’ destinations in school inspections when judging the effectiveness of a school’s leadership and management. Data on post-16 education destinations is already published in Performance Tables. We intend to publish full key stage 4 and key stage 5 destinations data in performance tables once we are content that the data are robust enough.

Citizenship: Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will take steps to ensure that schools teach pupils the importance of participating within the democratic process.

Edward Timpson: Citizenship education helps young people to prepare to play a full part in society, informed by a sound understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen. In citizenship, pupils learn about democracy, Government and how laws are made and upheld. Teaching should equip pupils to explore political and social issues critically, to weigh evidence, to debate, and to make reasoned arguments.
	To help support teachers engage pupils in learning about the democratic process, the Cabinet Office has produced the Rock Enrol! lesson framework, which is published online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rock-enrol-engaging-young-people-in-democracy
	Since its creation, the Cabinet Office has worked to promote its use in schools, local authorities and by youth organisations.

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will estimate the annual cost to her Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Information is not available in the form requested. The report published by the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General (13 May 2014, Official Report, column 17WS) shows that Department for Education Ministers received 16,898 letters from parliamentarians in the 2013 calendar year. We do not keep records of the form in which replies to such letters are sent. As explained by the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Childcare in the reply given to the hon. Member on 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 151W, most correspondence from hon. Members continues to be received as letters and is replied to in the same format. Ministers do, however, reply by e-mail when they consider it appropriate to do so.

Creationism and Evolution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 555W, on creationism, what mechanisms her Department has put in place to ensure that the Government's position on creationism and evolution is supported by learning establishments in receipt of funding through the scheme to provide 15 hours per week of free nursery provision; and if she will make a statement.

Sam Gyimah: The decision to fund a provider for early education places is based on the inspection judgment that they receive from Ofsted, or an Ofsted-approved inspectorate. Inspectors will consider whether adults challenge children to think and find out more by encouraging them to speculate and test ideas. Where an Ofsted inspector identifies any concerns, they must notify Ofsted’s compliance, investigation and enforcement team, who will consider notifying the appropriate agencies.
	The teaching of creationism and evolution in nurseries was identified by respondents as an issue in the Government’s recent consultation on child minder agencies and the role of local authorities in early education and child care. The Government is considering these responses.

Departmental Responsibilities

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the responsibilities will be of the Minister of State in her Department, the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

Edward Timpson: The full list of ministerial responsibilities will be published on www.gov.uk in due course.

Education

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 19 year olds who have not achieved English and mathematics to level two are not continuing to study these subjects.

Edward Timpson: In 2012/13, 28% (481,600) of 16 to 18-year-olds had not achieved Level 2 English by the end of the previous academic year, and of those 53% (254,100) were not continuing to study the subject at any level.
	In 2012/13, 30% (518,300) of 16 to 18-year-olds had not achieved Level 2 mathematics by the end of the previous academic year, and of those 57% (295,500) were not continuing to study the subject at any level.
	This is why this Government has introduced a condition of funding to ensure that all 16 to 19-year-olds who have not secured a good GCSE pass in English or maths have the opportunity to achieve these subjects by 19.
	2012/13 is the latest year that we have participation data linked to prior attainment.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what target she has set for the number of 16 to 17-year-olds to (a) enrol on the Youth Contract programme, (b) be re-engaged into a positive outcome following the Youth Contract programme and (c) be retained in that positive outcome for five out of six months over the course of the Youth Contract programme.

Edward Timpson: For the Education Funding Agency (EFA)-managed strand of the Youth Contract programme for 16 and 17-year-olds, payments are made on a ‘payment by results’ basis, which has three outcome-related payments.
	In announcing the programme, the Government committed £126 million over three years to provide capacity to support up to 55,000 young people who are aged 16 or 17, not in education, employment or training (NEET) and who have no GCSEs at grades A*-C. As a result of efficiency savings made during the procurement for delivery of the programme, in January 2013, the eligibility for the programme was extended to provide capacity for up to an additional 15,500 young people aged 16 or 17 who are NEET and: who have up to one GCSE A*-C or; who are care leavers/young people in care or; who are young offenders released from custody or serving community sentences.
	Delivery data for the programme for the period September 2012 to the end of March 2014 was published on 26 June 2014 and published online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-contract-delivery-data
	This shows contractors delivered 18,570 enrolments, 9,949 re-engagements and 3,445 sustained engagements. The contracted profile for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2016 shows: 21,500 participant enrolments; 23,000 participant re-engagements into positive outcomes of education, training or employment with training; and 23,500 participants to sustain in a positive outcome of education, training or employment with training for five out of six months.

Employment Schemes: Young People

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been paid to each provider of the Youth Contract for 16 to 17 year olds since September 2012.

Edward Timpson: The following table shows the amounts that have been paid since September 2012 by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to the contractors delivering the EFA-managed element of the Youth Contract programme for 16- and 17-year-olds.
	This information relates only to the EFA-managed element of the Youth Contract for 16- and 17-year-olds. Funding for the Core Cities element of the programme, which is being delivered in Liverpool, Newcastle and Gateshead, and Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, is devolved to the relevant local authorities.
	
		
			 Prime contractor Total amount paid since September 2012 (£) 
			 Skills Training UK Ltd 2,060,685 
			 Prospects Services 3,957,228 
			 Prevista Ltd 1298,344 
			 The Consultancy Home Counties Ltd 2,079,365 
			 Prospect Training Services (Gloucester) Ltd 883,056 
			 Pertemps People Development Group Ltd 1,499,715 
			 Groundwork UK 2,875,167 
			 1 To 31 July 2013

Free Schools

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many free schools have been approved by her Department which do not have identified sites; and in which local authority area each such school wishes to operate.

Edward Timpson: There are currently 174 free schools open, with applications approved for a further 156 schools that are seeking to open in 2014/15 and beyond. Of these 330 schools, 4% do not currently have a permanent site identified. None of these schools are planning to open in September 2014.
	A full list of approved applications, showing the local authority, is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-successful-applications-and-open-schools-2014

Free Schools

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2014, Official Report, column 636W, on free schools, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of changes to the way personal information is recorded in free school applications to reduce the cost of redaction of that information; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education keeps the format of free school application forms under review. In doing so, the most important consideration is to ensure that applicants provide information in a way that allows officials to make the best possible judgment about the quality and suitability of the application.

Free Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of applications her Department has received for free schools in districts experiencing a high or severe need for extra primary school places in the present academic year.

Edward Timpson: As reported in the National Audit Office review of free schools, 70% of free schools have opened in areas where there was a need for additional school places.
	Based on data provided by local authorities in May 2013, nine authorities were projected to have high or severe basic need for more primary school places in the 2013/14 academic year. Between May 2010 and May 2014, the Department for Education received a total of 34 applications to open primary free schools in these areas. This represents 8% of all primary free school applications received over the same period.

Free Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish a list of all free schools that are planned to open in September 2014 that still have places available before they reach their planned admission number; and how many places at each such school are currently available.

Edward Timpson: Information about the number of children on roll in free schools will be collected during the January school census and published in due course.

Free Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which free school projects pre-approved to open in September 2014 have since been (a) cancelled or withdrawn and (b) delayed; and what the pre-opening expenditure was for each such project.

Edward Timpson: Since 2011, 174 new free schools have opened across the country and around a further 80 are on course to open in September 2014. While free school proposers will have a preferred date for opening their school, the Department for Education does not approve projects to open in any specific year.
	The projects aiming to open in September 2014 or beyond that have been withdrawn are:
	1. Inspirar Academy
	2. Marco Polo Academy
	3. Oasis Community School Walthamstow
	4. On Track Chiltern
	5. Phoenix Free School of Oldham
	6. The Advance School
	7. Transforming Lives for Good
	No project was specifically approved to open in September 2014.
	Once the costs are finalised, the Department publishes the pre-opening expenditure for each free school project on the departmental website.

Free Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the size is of the (a) external and (b) internal play area on the (i) temporary and (ii) permanent site of each free school that is (A) open and (B) planning to open in September 2014.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education does not collect this information and it could be collated only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department ensures that every free school has access to sufficient play and sports space either on- or off-site.

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) the Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust and (b) that Trust's auditors on possible fraud within the trust;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the service level agreement between the Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust and the schools in which it operates.

Edward Timpson: The trust reported to the Education Funding Agency (EFA) that a theft had occurred. The trust undertook a full independent review, and the EFA monitored their response. The Department for Education’s most recent discussion with the trust has been to confirm progress with the recovery of funds and the police investigation.
	The Department has not had recent discussions with the trust’s auditors. The EFA reviewed the most recent audited accounts in early 2014.
	The Department does not hold a copy of the service level agreement between the Federation Trust and its schools.

Headteachers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the turnover of head teachers has been in state-funded schools in each year since 2010.

David Laws: The information requested is not available for teachers in specific grades.

Higher Education

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps her Department is taking to promote alternatives to university to young people.

Edward Timpson: We want it to become the norm for young people to choose between an apprenticeship or university as equally prestigious routes to their career. We have placed a duty on schools to provide independent careers guidance for pupils in years 8-13 on the full range of options, including apprenticeships. We have published statutory guidance requiring schools to ensure that other providers, such as further education colleges, have the opportunity to inform pupils about their offer. The guidance also states that schools should offer pupils the opportunity to develop the entrepreneurial skills necessary for self-employment.
	The guidance is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-for-young-people-in-schools

IGCSE

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether IGCSE qualifications will be included in 14 to 16 school performance tables after 2016.

David Laws: We expect to make an announcement in the near future on how achievements in IGCSEs and other level 1/level 2 certificates will be reflected in key stage 4 performance tables from 2017 onwards, following the first awarding of new GCSEs.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much land her Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Edward Timpson: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	There are strict rules protecting publicly funded school land. This is set out in guidance, which is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/protection-of-school-playing-fields-and-public-land-advice

Legal Costs

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much her Department has spent on legal costs on appealing decision notices served by the Information Commissioner since 2010.

Edward Timpson: Legal costs on appealing decision notices served by the Information Commissioner are not held centrally by the Department for Education, and the cost of determining these over the past five years would exceed the disproportionate limit.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels her Department funds.

Edward Timpson: Information on subscriptions to magazines is not held centrally.
	The Department for Education does not fund any subscriptions to television channels. The Department receives the Parliamentary Television Service which provides Ministers and officials with access to direct television feeds from Parliament.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many contracts (a) her Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much her Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in her Department monitor each contract.

Edward Timpson: Under this Government’s transparency programme, contracts are published on Contracts Finder:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	Information on the amount spent monitoring each contract, and the number of officials involved, is not held centrally and an answer could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much her Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Edward Timpson: The following table lists the amounts paid to the suppliers as recorded in the Department for Education’s finance systems:
	
		
			 £ 
			 Organisation 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Total 
			 G4S 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 G4S FIRE AND SECURITY SYSTEMS 0.00 0.00 0.00 12,458.31 12,458.31 
			 SERCO 22,708,767.65 1,866,032.89 3,947,420.89 2,215,156.65 30,737,378.08 
			 SODEXO 6,787.41 217.50 2,147,460.65 2,240,588.92 4,395,054.48 
			 GEOAmey 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 AMEY 70.38 0.00 0.00 151,126.73 151,197.11 
			 CAPITA 741,581,058.23 376,783,648.98 116,807,524.23 82,368,692.26 1,317,540,923.70 
			 ATOS CONSULTING LTD 194,862.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 194,862.00 
			 MITIE 4,563,022.84 3,574,876.83 704,330.19 5,329.44 8,847,559.30 
			 WORKING LINKS 0.00 16,280.00 0.00 0.00 16,280.00 
			 A4E LTD 2,269,275.08 1,509,218.60 1,657,892.66 1,436,479.29 6,872,865.63 
			 MTC Amey 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 GEO Group 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 CARILLION 124,275.35 56,359.00 - 43,612.00 156,484.00 293,506.35

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding Crawley constituency will receive through the pupil premium in the financial year 2014-15.

David Laws: Schools and academies in Crawley constituency have been allocated £4.026 million through the pupil premium for financial year 2014-15.
	This includes funding through the deprivation, service child and children adopted from care elements, but excludes the looked-after children element as this is not available at a parliamentary constituency level.

Schools: Asbestos

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether it is in the remit of Ofsted to investigate pupils’ safety from asbestos in school buildings when it inspects schools; and if she will make a statement.

David Laws: It is not in Ofsted’s remit to assess asbestos management in schools. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the lead regulator on managing asbestos.

Schools: Inspections

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what guidance (a) her Department and (b) Ofsted provides to Ofsted inspectors about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent.

David Laws: No guidance has been provided to Ofsted inspectors by the Department for Education about the monitoring of school engagement with Prevent as the training of inspectors is a matter for Her Majesty’s chief inspector.
	Where relevant, Ofsted provides inspectors with appropriate briefing on the Prevent agenda and gives training to inspectors ahead of inspection.

Studio Schools

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many studio colleges that have fallen behind or failed to meet their student recruitment numbers have been given an extension of time to make further progress to achieve the numbers of students set out in their funding agreements; and what the average additional time given to those colleges to recruit enough students to fulfil funding agreement criteria was;
	(2)  how many studio colleges have fallen behind or failed to meet the levels of student recruitment required for them to meet the terms of their funding agreements;
	(3)  how many studio colleges have fulfilled the terms of their funding agreements for student recruitment targets.

Edward Timpson: Post-opening student recruitment targets are only included in funding agreements for studio schools where there has been concern about potential pupil recruitment prior to the school opening.
	Five studio schools have specific termination clauses relating to post-opening student recruitment targets in their funding agreements. One school closed on 31 August 2013 and another is due to close on 31 August 2014 because they did not fulfil the funding agreement criteria in respect of the pupil recruitment target. Neither school was given an extension of time to meet the target. The other three schools have not yet reached the deadlines for their pupil recruitment targets.
	The majority of studio schools opening in September 2013 and all those due to open in September 2014 have pre-opening targets for student recruitment included in their funding agreements to ensure that the schools will be financially viable upon opening.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many awaydays her Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Edward Timpson: The information requested is not held centrally.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) her and (ii) Ministers in her Department since May 2010.

Edward Timpson: No money has been spent on either media training or social media training for the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Nicky Morgan), her predecessor or other Ministers in the Department for Education since May 2010.
	The Department for Education has curbed spending on all communications activity, bringing the central costs of communication down from £54 million in the last year of the previous Administration to £12 million in 2011-12, and down to under £1 million in 2013-14.

Training

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average duration is of all completed traineeships to date.

Edward Timpson: In the June Statistical First Release we published data showing that there were 7,400 traineeships starts between August 2013 and April 2014-the first nine months of the programme. We do not yet have reliable data to break this down further.
	Further information on traineeships data is published online at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324016/traineeship-data-note-june14.pdf

Unemployment: Young People

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many 16 to 19-year-olds are not undertaking a study programme.

Edward Timpson: At the end of 2013, 1,094,000 young people aged 16-18 were studying on full-time study programmes in state-funded post-16 institutions (excluding higher education and independent schools). Of the remainder, 494,000 were in full-time education in independent schools, higher education, or part-time education; 220,000 were in other training or employment; and 148,000 were not in education, training or employment (NEET).
	It is up to schools, colleges and training providers to tailor study programmes to meet the career aspirations of students based on their prior attainment. The principal components of a 16-19 study programme include typically a substantial qualification (such as one or more A-levels or Tech Levels), work experience and other non-qualification activity. English and maths also feature for students who failed to achieve an A*-C GCSE in maths and English by age 16.

University Academy Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what steps her Department has taken to engage with parents and staff at the University Academy, Liverpool, in relation to improving standards;
	(2)  what her targets are for improvement at the University Academy, Liverpool; and in what timescale she will require such improvements to be made.

Edward Timpson: The responsibility for engaging with parents and staff on improving standards in underperforming academies lies with the sponsor or trust.
	The Department for Education will intervene in cases where we are concerned that sponsors are not bringing about rapid, sustained educational improvements.
	In the case of the University of Chester Academies Trust (UCAT), which is the sponsor of the University Academy Liverpool (UAL), the Department has already intervened. Officials have been closely monitoring the performance of the sponsor since the publication of examination results in 2013. In April 2014, my noble Friend Lord Nash issued UCAT with a pre-warning notice letter as a result of our overall concerns about the performance of the trust and our particular concerns about three of its academies, including UAL. The trust has responded with an action plan to address these issues.
	We do not tolerate underperformance. Where an academy is not making urgent sustained progress, we will work closely with the school and sponsor to secure whatever changes are necessary to make improvements. This might include a change of leadership, or a new partnership with a successful strong academy, sponsor or school.
	We continue to monitor the situation at UAL closely against its action plan and will not hesitate to intervene further at both school and trust level if results in 2014 do not improve.

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what her Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education responds to parliamentary questions in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance
	The guidance makes clear that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public and only withhold information where its disclosure would not be in the public interest. Such public interest would be determined with the relevant legislation in mind.

TREASURY

Consumers: Credit

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consumer credit firms and peer-to-peer platforms located outside the UK, but within the European Economic Area and which lend money online to UK consumers have been granted interim permission to trade by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Andrea Leadsom: This information is contained on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Interim Permission Consumer Credit Register which is available online:
	http://fca-consumer-credit-interim.force.com/CS_RegisterSearchPageNew

Energy

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of his Department's consumption in kWh of (a) gas and (b) electricity in each month since June 2010; and what the cost of such consumption has been in each such month.

Andrea Leadsom: The information is not held by HM Treasury in the format you requested. Annual consumption and spend data are available in the Treasury Annual Report and Accounts for each year, copies of which have been deposited in the Library.

Intelligence Services

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 24 November 1993, Official Report, column 52W, on security services, how much expenditure by the security and intelligence agencies was contained in the (a) Ministry of Defence and (b) Foreign and Commonwealth Office votes for financial years 1984-85 to 1993-94;
	(2)  what the Secret Vote expenditure was in financial years 1984-85 and 1993-94.

Danny Alexander: Having reviewed our records, HM Treasury does not centrally hold all the details of this expenditure in the years requested.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Andrea Leadsom: HM Treasury occupies a small estate the core of which is the building at 1 Horse Guards Road. Space rationalisation in this building has allowed the Cabinet Office, the Northern Ireland office, the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and UK Export Finance to be accommodated.
	HM Treasury has no other land available for release.

Mapeley

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when HM Revenue and Customs last audited the (a) compliance and (b) performance of Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited in respect of the Five Year Plan under 17.1 (a) of the Private Finance Initiative contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited;
	(2)  when HM Revenue and Customs will next audit the (a) compliance and (b) performance of Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited in respect of the Five Year Plan under 17.1 (a) of the private finance initiative contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited;
	(3)  when HM Revenue and Customs will next audit the compliance and performance of Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited in respect of all the STEPS Contractor's obligations under the agreement, including those applicable to the implementation of any change and all personnel and management policies and practices and quality management under 17.1 (d) of the private finance initiative contract between HM Revenue and Customs and Mapeley STEPS Contractor Limited.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monitors the performance of its contractor regularly under a range of provisions. Commercial discussions between HMRC and its suppliers are confidential.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Andrea Leadsom: To provide the information on numbers and amount of pay increase over the period would incur disproportionate costs.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

Andrea Leadsom: Since January 2011, central Government Departments have been required to publish on Contracts Finder information on the tenders issued and contracts they award with a value over £10,000
	www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	In addition, Departments including HM Treasury routinely publish details of transactions over £25,000.
	HM Treasury, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies currently have no plans to let contracts for over £1 million.
	Information relating to the expenditure and the number of officials involved in monitoring contracts is not held centrally.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Andrea Leadsom: As part of the Government's transparency agenda, any spend over £25,000 is available on the Department's website at GOV.UK. Since January 2011, all contracts over £10,000 in value are published on Contracts Finder
	http://www.contractsfinder.co.uk/

Revenue and Customs

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the HM Revenue and Customs leases for Abbey House and Parkside Court in Telford are up for renewal; whether Matheson House in Telford is part of the HM Revenue and Customs estate; and, if so, when its lease is due for renewal.

David Gauke: Abbey House is occupied by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) under the provisions of the STEPS Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract, which runs until 2 April 2021. Parkside Court is occupied by HMRC under an inter department agreement with the Land Registry, who have principal responsibility for this property; the occupancy agreement expires on 5 January 2017. Matheson House is on the HMRC estate, and the lease is not due for renewal until 2 April 2021.

Revenue and Customs

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many external contractors and consultants were employed in each business area in HM Revenue and Customs at the latest date for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs staff numbers for Consultancy and external contractors are reported in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 in the Statistical Tables, Table 5: Staff Numbers (page 83).
	HMRC annual report and accounts: 2013 to 2014 - Publications - GOV.UK
	These data are not available by business area.

Revenue and Customs

David Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of employing external contractors and consultants on HM Revenue and Customs-related work in 2013-14.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) costs for external contractors are published on the Cabinet Office website:
	www.gov.uk
	HMRC costs for consultancy are reported in the HMRC Annual Report and Accounts 2013-14 under Other Administration Costs: Other Expenditure (page 138) and Programme Costs: Other Programme Costs (page 140) and are audited by the National Audit Office. These costs include those for the VOA, which are consolidated with the costs for the core Department.
	HMRC annual report and accounts: 2013 to 2014 - Publications - GOV.UK

Taxation: Domicile

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of tax revenue foregone as a result of people who are UK resident, but not domiciled for tax purposes, not paying tax on non-UK source income.

David Gauke: No such estimate has been made.

Taxation: Switzerland

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what extra revenue HM Revenue and Customs has received since entry into force of the UK-Swiss Confederation Taxation Co-operation Agreement; and what discussions the Government is having with other jurisdictions on similar agreements on tax avoidance.

David Gauke: The Exchequer has received over £1.1 billion it would not have received without the agreement. This includes Swiss yield that has been disclosed in the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility since entering into the agreement.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department does not hold a central record of away days for officials and the information cannot be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold. The cost of each event cannot be broken down.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Andrea Leadsom: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), on 19 October 2012, Official Report, column 546W. No Treasury Ministers have received formal media or social media training in the intervening period.

VAT

Nia Griffith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of whether there have been any benefits to the internal work of HM Revenue and Customs of the release of data about VAT registration to private credit ratings agencies.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) published the research ‘Report on use of non-financial credit VAT registration data in trade credit scoring’ on 25 June 2014. This can be found at
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/sharing-and-publishing-data-for-public-benefit
	The report demonstrated that a controlled release of non-financial VAT registration data would have significant benefits for business in securing additional trade credit. Provisions to enable this are now in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill currently before Parliament.
	The research report also identified that there may be benefits for HMRC in such data sharing although, without further work, it was not possible to quantify these. HMRC will consider how to follow up this work.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: Detainees

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for the detention of each woman who has sought asylum have been in the last three years, as set out in form IS91R.

Karen Bradley: It is not possible to provide a list of the reasons that women who have sought asylum have been detained in the last three years. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Published policy states that detention may normally be used in the following circumstances: initially, while identity or basis of claim are established; where there is reason to believe the person concerned will not comply with any conditions attached to the grant of temporary admission or temporary release; as part of a fast-track asylum process; or to effect removal from the UK.
	These general detention criteria apply to both women and men.
	All decisions to detain are taken on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant available information.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what residential facilities are available in Northern Ireland for asylum applicants; and when those facilities were last inspected.

Karen Bradley: Accommodation is provided for single applicants in single self contained properties and in HMOs (houses of multiple occupation). Family accommodation is provided for families. Where a service user has specific needs, that impact on the type of accommodation required (e.g. pregnant women), details will be made known to the providers at the time of dispersal to ensure that suitable properties are offered.
	Accommodation for asylum seekers is provided under the COMPASS contract. COMPASS contract providers are required to provide safe, habitable, fit for purpose and correctly equipped accommodation to comply with relevant mandatory and statutory requirements in relation to housing and this includes the Housing Act 2004. Properties are inspected at least once every month.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities are available for unaccompanied children applying for asylum in Northern Ireland.

Karen Bradley: The accommodation of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Northern Ireland is arranged and monitored by the local authority responsible for that child and social services maintain an ongoing responsibility for their welfare.
	The Home Office will make social services aware of a child’s arrival at the earliest opportunity. From that point onwards, a variety of professionals will have involvement with the welfare of the child.
	For consideration of their asylum application, children are interviewed by a specially trained decision maker. At the interview, the child will be accompanied by a Responsible Adult. A legal representative would normally be present for the interview and an interpreter if appropriate.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum were received in Northern Ireland in each year since 2010.

Karen Bradley: It is not possible to provide data on the number of claims for asylum that have been received in Northern Ireland since 2010. This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	It is possible to provide an estimated figure for the number of asylum seekers that are recorded as being resident in Northern Ireland during the period specified. This information is provided in the table.
	These figures relate to main asylum claimants who have made a claim for asylum between 1 January 2010 and 31 March 2014 and who have a latest postcode recorded as located in Northern Ireland.
	The figures quoted have been derived from management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.
	
		
			 Year of Application Number of Applications 
			 2010 147 
			 2011 196 
			 2012 235 
			 2013 210 
			 2014 (January to March) 62

Asylum: Religious Freedom

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are in place to offer safe passage to the UK for those seeking refuge from institutionalised religious persecution across the world.

Karen Bradley: The UK has a proud tradition of providing protection to those who need it and fully considers all asylum applications lodged in the UK in accordance with our international obligations. However there is no obligation on us to consider applications or inquiries made on behalf of people abroad about asylum in the UK. The approach of both the UK and the European Union is that an individual should apply for protection from the authorities in the first available safe country, irrespective of whether or not it is a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, failing which the local office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should be able to assist.
	Moreover, under international law, someone seeking asylum must first be outside the country of his nationality or habitual residence, since international protection cannot be provided while a person is within the territorial jurisdiction of his home country.
	The UK will continue to fulfil its responsibilities to those who arrive within our borders and seek protection.
	While there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum, the Government operates a Gateway Protection Programme, established several years ago with the aim of bringing genuine refugees direct to the UK. This Programme is run in partnership with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). It underpins the UK’s proud tradition of providing protection to refugees and the Government’s commitment to supporting UNHCR’s global effort to provide durable solutions to the plight of refugees.

Buildings

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) her Department and (ii) buildings owned by her Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

Karen Bradley: The Department has not spent any money on gymnasium and leisure facilities in 2013 or 2014. In addition to essential repair and maintenance, £30,552 was spent on refurbishing cafeteria or restaurant facilities in 2013 and £30,984 in 2014 for several purposes including improvements to accessibility, making them safer to use and providing a better range of products or service. At 2 Marsham Street the cost of refurbishment of the cafes in 2012-13 was met by the PFI service provider under the terms of the Project Agreement. The total costs of interior decoration across the estate, whether carried out separately or as part of other works, is not held centrally.

Business: Cybercrime

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to deter and punish the perpetrators of cybercrime attacks on UK businesses.

Karen Bradley: Combating cybercrime is a core part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, which is underpinned by the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) and £860 million of investment over five years. The Government has so far committed £70 million of NCSP funding to build law enforcement capabilities to tackle cybercrime. This includes the establishment of the National Cyber Crime Unit in the National Crime Agency (NCA), and cyber teams within each of the Regional Organised Crime Units across England and Wales. We are also developing the capability and awareness of local police forces. The NCA has led efforts to arrest and disrupt cyber criminals, including warning individuals who may have access to malicious software that they are known to the agency and that any movement into criminality will result in action. NCSP also funds the Action Fraud, the national reporting service for fraud and financially motivated cyber crime, and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. Both of these are run by the City of London police, the country’s national lead force for fraud investigations. The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), visited the City of London police earlier this month with the Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley) in order to see the good work that the force is doing.
	In addition, the Government has introduced a new offence as part of the Serious Crime Bill to capture cyber attacks which cause, or create a significant risk of, serious damage. This will ensure that serious cyber attacks carry sentences that reflect the impact they can have. Where cyber attacks result in loss of life or serious damage to national security, the maximum sentence will be life imprisonment. Where an attack results in serious economic or environmental damage, the maximum sentence will be 14 years’ imprisonment.
	Furthermore, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has delivered a range of measures to help protect businesses against cybercrime, including producing best practice guidance, providing innovation vouchers to help businesses boost their cyber defences, and delivering a campaign of awareness-raising and behaviour change activities.

Business: Cybercrime

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to deter and punish the perpetrators of cybercrime attacking UK businesses from abroad.

Karen Bradley: Combating cybercrime is a core part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, which is underpinned by the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) and £860 million of investment over five years. The Government has so far committed £70 million of NCSP funding to build law enforcement capabilities to tackle cybercrime. This includes the establishment of the National Cyber Crime Unit in the National Crime Agency (NCA), and cyber teams within each of the Regional Organised Crime Units across England and Wales.
	Almost every cybercrime investigation has an international element and as a result the NCA has prioritised building partnerships with key international partners to better tackle this common cyber threat. To this end, and as a result of NCSP investment, the NCA has deployed a number of international liaison officers overseas. The NCA, EU and other international partners (US, New Zealand, Australia and Canada) have agreed common threats and goals which are informing the development of a model for proactive global joint cyber investigations. An example of this approach is the recent US-led investigation into a serious malware threat which saw the UK, under Project TOVAR, play a key role in the disruption of criminal infrastructure and prevention messaging to UK to businesses and the public. Project DISPUTED is an NCA-led investigation which targets the Shylock malware variant, a sophisticated system employed by criminals to steal online banking credentials, targeting the UK banking sector in particular. This is the first project of its kind for a UK law enforcement agency and involves the NCA bringing together partners from across law enforcement and the private sector, including the FBI, Europol and others.

Civil Disorder

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department issues to the police to ensure that riots are stopped as quickly as possible.

Michael Penning: The Home Office has not issued any such guidance. The management of public order is an operational matter for the police. Guidance on public order policing is contained in the police’s Authorised Professional Practice.
	In July 2012, the Secretary of State for the Home Department issued the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR).
	This sets out the strategic threats that are of such gravity as to be of national importance or can only be countered effectively and efficiently through national policing capabilities. Public order is one of these threats. chief constables are required to have regard to the SPR when exercising their responsibilities. Police and crime commissioners are required to hold chief constables to account for the delivery of the SPR and should have regard to the SPR when producing their police and crime plans.

Deportation and Extradition

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to ensure that people deported or extradited from the UK and who pose a threat to national security are unable to return to the UK.

Karen Bradley: A person who has been deported faces a mandatory refusal of entry under Paragraph 320(2) of the Immigration Rules until or unless the deportation order is revoked by the Secretary of State. This is generally not considered until a minimum of 10 years have elapsed.
	A person may be extradited from the UK to stand trial or to serve a sentence. This information is taken into account in decisions whether to grant or refuse re-entry to the UK. Where there is an overseas conviction entry will be considered in accordance with Paragraph 320(2) of the Immigration Rules, which provide for a mandatory refusal depending on the age and seriousness of the sentence imposed.
	In addition, where an individual is a threat to national security, the Secretary of State may exercise her discretion to personally exclude that person from the United Kingdom.

HM Passport Office

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed by HM Passport Office on (a) 1 January, (b) 1 February, (c) 1 March, (d) 1 April, (e) 1 May and (f) 1 June 2014.

James Brokenshire: The formal record for work force data is made on the last day of each calendar month.
	Her Majesty’s Passport Office has employed the following number of full-time equivalents:
	
		
			  FTEs 
			 (a) On 31 December 2013 3,333 
			 (b) On 31 January 2014 3,390 
			 (c) On 28 February 2014 3,434 
			 (d) On 31 March 2014 3,469 
			 (e) On 30 April 2014 3,489 
			 (f) On 31 May 2014 3,506 
		
	
	In order to ensure that the data is reported on a consistent basis, figures for April and May include 196 full-time equivalent (FTE) corporate services staff that transferred to the Home Office on 1 April 2014. This was part of a restructure of the Home Office corporate services function.
	Figures are for permanent civil servants employed by Her Majesty’s Passport Office, including part year appointments and permanent members of staff employed on contracts for nine months of the year. This excludes staff on secondment or loan, and agency and temporary staff—with these staff included, the March 2014 figure is 3,444.
	Please note, Her Majesty’s Passport Office records migrated to the Department’s strategic record system during this period and are subject to enhanced validation checks. Several months in this time series have a variance of +/- 2 FTE.

Hughes Chang

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken fully to comply with the High Court judgment in the Hughes Chang case.

Michael Penning: The Home Office has taken steps to ensure that it complies fully with the Hughes-Chang court judgment. Mandatory changes have been made to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice C and H, which came into effect in October 2013, which require the police to provide 17-year-olds with an appropriate adult and to inform their parents of their detention.

Human Trafficking: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training her Department provides to immigration officials in Northern Ireland to identify victims of human trafficking.

Karen Bradley: All frontline immigration officials must undertake a mandatory two stage e-learning training package on identifying victims of trafficking. They must also undertake training on safeguarding children.
	The Home Office continuously reviews the training provided to front line officers to ensure that it remains relevant and up to date.

Immigrants: Children

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many litigation cases around age assessments of unaccompanied migrant children there were in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13; and what the cost of such cases was to (i) local authorities and (ii) her Department.

Karen Bradley: A complete set of data for all litigation cases concerning age assessments of unaccompanied migrant children is not held centrally and the information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration Controls

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many e-gates are now in operation at (a) UK ports and (b) Manchester Airport; what proportion of such passengers are using e-gates; and what the rejection rates is of travellers using e-gates (i) in the UK and (ii) at Manchester airport.

Karen Bradley: Currently there are (a) 94 e-Passport gates in use at UK ports, and (b) five e-passport gates in use at two of Manchester airport's terminals (10 in total).
	It is not currently possible to provide the data relating to the questions of travellers using e-Passport gates and the number of rejections. Accurate figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration Controls

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on immigration security at UK airports in 2013.

Karen Bradley: As our officers are multifunctional and work across both immigration and customs functions at all ports, (air sea and rail) to meet demand for our services, the information requested is not available.

Immigration Controls

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if she will take steps to ensure that staff of her Department alleviate distress suffered by families who are subject to questioning at border control because the children have different surnames to their parents;
	(2)  if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on operations at border control of trends in the number of women having different surnames to their children.

Karen Bradley: Border Force has a duty under section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. All Border Force officers undergo mandatory training and have guidance to enable them to fulfil this important duty in an appropriate manner. Checks are conducted on passengers arriving in the UK in accordance with the Border Force Operating Mandate.
	Where a child is encountered at the border, and it is not immediately apparent that the accompanying adult is their parent or guardian, Border Force officers will ask questions to satisfy themselves as to the child’s welfare and to discharge their statutory duty. This will be done as quickly and as sensitively as possible to avoid unnecessary delay and distress to the passenger and their accompanying family.

Immigration: Ukraine

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will review the availability of language test centres in Ukraine in response to the current security situation in parts of that country.

James Brokenshire: Cambridge English are operating nine language test centres across Ukraine. The Home Office is working with Cambridge English to monitor access to these test centres.

India

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she discussed the extradition proceedings of Raymond Varley on her recent trip to India; and if she will continue to monitor the case.

Karen Bradley: The Secretary of State has not made any recent trips to India. Raymond Varley’s discharge was ordered by the District Judge sitting at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The Crown Prosecution Service, which represents the Government of India in the court proceedings, is appealing against that decision. The appeal is due to be heard on 10 October 2014. UK Ministers have no involvement in the court proceedings and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.

Marriage Certificates

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to allow the mothers of brides and grooms to be named on marriage certificates.

Karen Bradley: We are currently considering how the information contained in the marriage entry can be updated to reflect changes since the coming into force of the Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986, as well as the most suitable opportunity for doing so.

Marriage of Convenience

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Independent Chief Inspector's report on the Rights of European Citizens and their Spouses to Come to the UK, published on 19 June 2014, on sham marriages among non-EEA nationals in order to gain UK residency.

Karen Bradley: The Chief Inspector’s report contained 10 recommendations; six were accepted, two were accepted in part and the remaining two were not accepted. A detailed response from the Home Office was also published on 19 June 2014 on the Chief Inspector’s website and on:
	www.gov.uk
	We have already implemented or started implementation of the eight recommendations accepted or accepted in part.

National Crime Agency

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the National Crime Agency; and what discussions officials in her Department have had with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive on extending the scope of that agency to operate in Northern Ireland.

Karen Bradley: The creation of the National Crime Agency (NCA) has changed and improved the way we tackle serious and organised crime in this country. The NCA is taking a stronger, more effective leadership role across our law enforcement community, and tackling threats and individuals which some in the past thought were too difficult or untouchable. This closer co-ordination is already delivering results, and you may be aware of a recent NCA investigation, in partnership with Surrey police and Bahraini authorities that resulted in four men being sentenced to a total of 20 years imprisonment for a range of sexual offences against children. This is just one example of how the NCA is working with partners in the UK, and internationally, to take the fight to organised criminals.
	The Northern Ireland Justice Minister is leading in the efforts to extend the powers of the National Crime Agency in Northern Ireland within an appropriate framework. As he said in answer to an Assembly question on 9 July, David Ford hopes to bring a revised proposed model for the operation of the NCA in Northern Ireland to all relevant parties as soon as practicable to seek to move matters forward. My officials have, naturally, had extensive discussions with the Department of Justice and will continue to do so.
	While these discussions are ongoing, the National Crime Agency remains committed to assisting the Police Service of Northern Ireland in tackling serious and organised crime as far as the restrictions on its powers permit.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials employed by her Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Karen Bradley: It has not been possible to answer this question because of the disproportionate cost involved in checking through over approximately 15,000 individual staff records.

Police Custody: Young People

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 17 year olds were held in police custody in each of the last five years.

Michael Penning: This information is not held centrally.

Police: Accident and Emergency Departments

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the amount of police time spent in accident and emergency departments accompanying people with mental illness.

Michael Penning: Data on the amount of police time spent in accident and emergency departments accompanying people with mental illness is not collected by the Home Department.
	Various studies have attempted to quantify the amount of police time spent dealing with mental health issues, which may include officers’ attendance in accident and emergency departments. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Service estimated (for the Independent Commission on Mental Health and Policing, published in May 2013) that mental health issues accounted for at least 20% of police time.
	The Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat, published by the Government in February 2014, makes clear the standard of response that people experiencing a mental health crisis should expect. The Concordat includes an action for the Home Office, with policing partners and Public Health England, to develop a toolkit to enable the police to quantify the demand for responses to people in mental health crisis, including whether they were taken to Accident and Emergency Departments. The toolkit will be tested later this summer by three police forces.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts (a) her Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much her Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in her Department monitor each contract.

Karen Bradley: The Home Department publishes and has published since 2010 details of all contracts awarded over £10,000 on the Contracts Finder website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	Based on current contract expiration dates, information on contracts plan to be let for the Home Department, agencies and arms length bodies (ALBs) in the next 12 months is set out in the table below:
	
		
			  Value: 
			  £1 million to £3 million > £3 million 
			 Department 6 24 
			 Agencies 2 1 
			 ALBs 1 0 
		
	
	Data on how much is spent and the number of staff engaged in contract monitoring is not held centrally, as contract monitoring is undertaken by individual directorates within the Home Department, for which the contracts fall within.

Radicalism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to monitor UK citizens suspected to be travelling, or are found to have travelled, to the Middle East to fight for ISIS and similar radical groups to ensure that upon their return they will not pose an internal threat through their own actions or the radicalisation of others.

Karen Bradley: The Government takes extremely seriously the threat posed by those who travel from the UK to join terrorist movements abroad and who might return with enhanced capabilities which they may intend to use against the UK or the intention of radicalising others.
	The investigation and monitoring of individuals who pose a threat to our national security is an operational matter for the police and Security Service. Prosecution is always the preferred option for tackling terrorists. But where this is not possible a range of other disruptions may be used.
	These include disrupting travel by cancelling British passports on public interest grounds, dual nationals’ deprivation of British citizenship and exclusion from the UK to prevent their return, and interviews at the border as part of Counter Terrorist investigations.
	We have also proscribed a number of terrorist groups active in the Syrian conflict, including ISIS. Membership or support for a proscribed organisation is a criminal offence.
	Those who return from Syria are individually assessed and where further investigation is not warranted we can provide tailored counter-radicalisation interventions to support the returnee and dissuade them from travelling again or radicalising others.

Slavery: Fisheries

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to tackle the use of slaves on (a) commercial vessels fishing within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone and (b) EU vessels fishing commercially on the high seas.

Karen Bradley: The National Crime Agency has identified a gap in existing legislation which means law enforcement agencies are not always able to act where it is suspected that modern slavery offences are being committed at sea. If law enforcement officers have to wait for vessels to return to UK territorial waters or to a UK port before they can take action to tackle suspected modern slavery, this can expose victims to extended periods of abuse and risk to life. This is an unacceptable situation which this Government is determined to put right.
	Clause 13 of the Modern Slavery Bill would empower law enforcement officers to exercise specified powers when investigating modern slavery offences being committed at sea. For UK vessels, these powers will be available anywhere at sea, and for stateless and EU vessels, they will be available within the UK’s territorial waters.

Stationery

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the annual cost to her Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: Spend on stationery for sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members is not separated from other stationery and therefore is not calculable.
	Spend on postage for sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members is not separated from spend of all Home Office postage and is also not calculable.

UK Visas and Immigration

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Ilford South will receive a reply from the Director General, UK Visas and Immigration to the urgent representations he made on behalf of his constituents Mr and Mrs Mehta on 16 June 2014; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: A Home Office official responded to the hon. Member on 10 July 2014.

UK Visas and Immigration

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she has issued to UK Visas and Immigration Directorate on responding to hon. Members' representations on visit visa cases.

Karen Bradley: Guidance is available to all staff involved in responding to correspondence from hon. Members. This guidance explains when it is appropriate for staff to contact the business unit dealing with the case.
	Additionally, the Home Office have issued an Information Fact Sheet—‘Family Visit Visa Information Fact Sheet for Members of Parliament acting on behalf of their constituents’ to hon. Members. The Information Fact Sheet is available on the Home Office MP website.

UK Visas and Immigration

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons hon. Members' recent representations to the Director General, UK Visas and Immigration were not referred to the post for a review; and if she will make a statement.

Karen Bradley: Officials within UK Visas and Immigration review all representations to the Director General and where appropriate they will liaise with the overseas post to request a review of the decision. The case that the hon. Member recently raised has been referred to post for review.

Video Games: Cybercrime

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance her Department provides to the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to encourage them to treat cyber crime involving theft of online items in video games with a monetary value as seriously as they would real-world crimes of a similar nature.

Karen Bradley: The Government has made clear that what is illegal offline is illegal online. The specific allocation of resources to different crime types is a matter for the chief constables of local police forces, in conjunction with their police and crime commissioner. In addition, the Government is investing £860 million through the National Cyber Security Programme in improving the UK’s cyber security. £70 million of this has already been allocated to improving law enforcement capabilities to respond to cyber crime, with investment at all levels of policing.

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Karen Bradley: I refer the hon. Member to the publicly available guidance on answering parliamentary questions available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance
	The guidance makes clear that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public and only withhold information where its disclosure would not be in the public interest. Such public interest would be determined with the relevant legislation in mind (Freedom of Information, Data Protection, and the Official Secrets Act etc).

Young Offenders

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 21 October 2013, Official Report, column 65W, on young offenders, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to redefine juveniles to include those older than 16.

Michael Penning: The Home Office is working with policing and criminal justice partners to review those remaining circumstances where current legislation treats 17-year-olds as adults while in police custody.

TRANSPORT

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Claire Perry: The Department’s general alcohol policy is contained in its Staff Handbook and applies to the consumption of alcohol during parties in the Secretary of State’s Private Office. The general policy is set down as follows:
	‘1.6 Alcohol is prohibited in some of the Department's premises (see local instructions) and where there is no formal ban, line managers are expected to ensure that office parties do not cause disruption to the work of the office. All staff are expected to be scrupulous in observing the law on drinking and driving.’
	Local instructions are set down as follows:
	Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) policy prohibits the consumption of alcohol on its premises during working hours and consequently, staff hold their parties in their own time and off site. In addition, employees are expected to be in a fit and safe condition to undertake their duties and not be under the influence of alcohol during the working day. When representing the Agency at an external function employees must adopt a responsible attitude towards their drinking. Drinking is also prohibited when driving on official business.
	Highways Agency (HA) policy also prohibits consumption of alcohol during work time, including all breaks. This means that attendance at work under the influence and/or the consumption of alcohol is forbidden and this is due to the safety critical working environment of some of their employees.

Aviation: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Regional Air Connectivity Fund has been used to support air links to and from Northern Ireland since that fund was created.

Robert Goodwill: The Regional Air Connectivity Fund has not currently been used to support air links to and from Northern Ireland. The fund can be used to maintain existing domestic air connectivity to London where there is a risk that an existing link may be lost, and to provide financial support to develop new routes from airports of less than five million passengers per year.
	Northern Ireland is well connected by air to London with over 18,000 flights per year between the two Belfast airports and the five main London airports, carrying over two million passengers. The first use of this fund was announced earlier this summer to protect the air route between Dundee and London through a Public Service Obligation.
	With regards to providing start-up aid for new routes, the Department for Transport is working with the Treasury to develop guidance that will clarify how the Government will expect to interpret the European Union state aid guidelines on start-up aid for new air routes. The Department for Transport expects to publish this guidance in the autumn.

Blue Badge Scheme

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether guidance issued to local authorities on the Blue Badge scheme is mandatory; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Goodwill: The Blue Badge Scheme Local Authority Guidance (England) is not mandatory as it is non-statutory guidance. It is guidance for local authorities on best practice in administering the Blue Badge scheme.

Buildings

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) his Department and (ii) buildings owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

Claire Perry: The requested information is provided in the following table:
	
		
			 £ 
			  (a) (b) (c) 
			 Organisational unit 2013 2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 
			 DfT Central:       
			 Headquarters building1 0 0 0 107,593 104,830 0 
			 Rail Accident Investigation Branch 0 0 0 0 1,715 978 
			        
			 Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency2 0 0 0 0 0 21,252 
			 Highways Agency 0 0 896 0 12,646 25,770 
			 1 Interior decorations relate to legal (lease) obligations as well as spend associated with refurbishment undertaken to improve space efficiency. 2 Costs relates to headquarters refurbishment undertaken to improve space efficiency following lease exit.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much of the estimated income included in the business case for phase 1 of High Speed 2 comes from Birmingham to London commuters.

Robert Goodwill: The Economic Case for HS2 published in October 2013—which can be found at:
	http://assets.hs2.org.uk/sites/default/files/inserts/S%26A%201_Economic%20case_0.pdf
	estimates that in 2036 and thereafter, 3.6% of the revenue generated by Phase 1 of HS2 originates from commuters travelling between the West Midlands and London.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the net economic effect of High Speed 2 for the North-West.

Robert Goodwill: Investment in HS2 will deliver widespread connectivity improvements, grow markets and increase opportunities to trade.
	The Economic Case for HS2 published in October 2013 estimates that 17% of the transport user benefits of the HS2 Y-Network are generated from trips originating in the North West. This equates to benefits of approximately £342 million (PV, 2011 prices) in 2036. Further analysis by KPMG suggests the wider economic effects could be far greater.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Claire Perry: As of the end of March 2014 the Public Sector Land Programme had disposed of land capable of delivering over 76,000 homes in England.
	The Department for Transport has contributed land capable of delivering 3,752 homes to the programme; we are continuing to rationalise our estate, delivering cost savings and better value for money for the taxpayer.
	In the final year of this programme work is continuing to dispose of land capable of delivering much needed homes and are on course to meet the Government's ambition to dispose of land capable of delivering 100,000 homes by April 2015.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds.

Claire Perry: The spend analysis system in the Department does not have a specific category for magazine subscriptions.
	In addition to paying the license fee, the Department subscribes to a House of Commons television service provided by Chubb Information Systems.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Claire Perry: 11,449 officials employed by the Department remained at the same grade and received a pay rise since 2010. The average pay rise over the period for these staff was 6.6%.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

Claire Perry: Table 1 below provides a summary of the contracts let with values between £1 million and £3 million and greater than £3 million from 2010 and its agencies. It also provides details of contracts that the Department anticipates letting by the end of the current financial year.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			  Let since 1 April 2010 Planned to be let by 31 January 2015 
			  £1 million to £3 million £3 million+ £1 million to £3 million £3 million+ 
			 Department for Transport (central) 30 30 2 3 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 0 0 0 0 
			 Government Car Service 0 0 1 0 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 6 6 1 1 
			 Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency1 9 3 2 2 
			 The Highways Agency2 150 104 2 16 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 22 19 0 4 
			 High Speed 2 7 18 2 5 
			 British Transport Police Authority3 7 5 5 5 
			 Traffic Commissioners 0 0 0 0 
			 Disabled Passenger Transport Advisory Committee 0 0 0 0 
			 London and Continental Railways 0 0 2 0 
			 Passenger Focus 0 1 0 0 
			 Northern Lighthouse Board and Trinity House Lighthouse Service 3 1 1 1 
			 Directly Operated Railways 0 0 0 0 
			 Office of Rail Regulation 0 1 0 0 
			 Civil Aviation Authority 0 0 0 0 
			 1 This is a recent merger of the Driving Standards Agency and Vehicle and Operator Services Agency. 2 The Highways Agency have supplied data from the beginning of the calendar year 2010. 3 This includes details for the British Transport police. 
		
	
	The Department does not hold centrally data on the spend and personnel numbers associated with monitoring contracts and this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Railways: East Midlands

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of options for increasing service frequencies on the Nottingham-Lincoln line; and what the revenue subsidy and capital cost of implications are of each such option.

Claire Perry: As stated in the Greater Lincolnshire Deal, which was part of the Local Growth Fund announcement on 7 July, the Department is committed to working with D2N2 and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and partners to help achieve their objective of increased service frequency between Lincoln and Nottingham via Newark.
	However, this is dependent on the affordability and value for money of the services. In addition, it is dependent on the level of local funding available to support these incremental rail services for the first three years, after which the Department would consider continuing with the services as part of its base specification. We are currently assessing the available options against the criteria above, taking account of likely revenue and cost implications alongside the latest funding offer from the stakeholders.

Railways: South East

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will reopen closed railway lines to improve (a) rail capacity between London and the south coast and (b) rail connectivity between towns in Sussex; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: Following work recently undertaken by Network Rail, the emerging strategy for rail capacity on the Sussex route to 2024 envisages focusing investment on existing infrastructure, rather than reopening closed lines. Further detail can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/brighton-main-line-emerging-capacity-strategy-for-control-period-6
	This strategy will be further refined following the publication of the Sussex Route Study in 2015.

Railways: Standards

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train operating companies (TOCs) missed their annual punctuality targets in each year of Control Period 4, 2009-14; and whether the Office of Rail Regulation can impose fines on TOCs for missing punctuality targets for timetabled train services.

Claire Perry: The regulatory targets for punctuality set by the Office of Rail Regulation for Control Period 4 applied to Network Rail, but not to the individual TOCs. ORR holds Network Rail accountable for its delivery to TOCs by enforcing targets agreed between Network Rail and TOCs.

Railways: Standards

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which occasions train operating companies have been fined by (a) his Department and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation for (i) missing punctuality targets or (ii) late running passenger services; and what the amount of the fine was in each such case.

Claire Perry: Only four TOCs (Arriva Trains Wales, Chiltern, First TransPennine Express and Virgin Trains) have financial incentives for performance, based on formulaic contractual payments from the Department for Transport (DFT) to the Train Operating Company (TOC) for performance above a set level benchmark, and from the TOC to the DFT for performance below it. The amounts paid are commercially confidential.
	The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) agrees track access contracts between Network Rail and train operators. These track access contracts provide for Network Rail to pay compensation to an operator in the event that train services cannot operate or are delayed due to late running engineering works or unplanned disruption outside that operator’s control.
	ORR publishes the annual totals of these payments (referred to as Schedule 8 payments) at route level on its data portal. The data comes from Network Rail’s regulatory financial statements.
	https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/displayreport/report/html/345da3b9-b9ac-449a-aace-8298c5b39e2b
	The ORR regulate Network Rail with regard to industry performance, they do not regulate train operators in this area.

Railways: Standards

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the existing franchise agreements between his Department and train operating companies contain punctuality targets for timetabled passenger services; what the target is in each case; and what the penalties are for missing such a target.

Claire Perry: Six existing franchise agreements contain punctuality targets for timetabled passenger services.
	The targets are in the franchise agreements, which are published online by the Department for Transport at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-register-of-rail-passenger-franchise-agreements

Railways: Standards

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria are used to establish whether delays over five minutes to a scheduled commuter train service in (a) London and (b) the South East were caused by (i) Network Rail, (ii) the train operating company or (iii) other factors; and what changes have been made to those criteria since January 2008.

Claire Perry: The criteria for establishing delay causes are to be found in the Delay Attribution Guide, issued by the Delay Attribution Board—a joint industry body remitted to provide guidance to the industry on delay attribution issues.
	The current guide was issued in April 2014. Copies of the all the guides since 2007 can be seen at:
	http://www.delayattributionboard.co.uk/delayattributionguides.htm

Railways: Wi-Fi

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a breakdown of the £90 million cost of train wifi by (a) funding source and (b) proposed spend by train operator.

Claire Perry: The Network Rail penalty to be reinvested into improving mobile communications on trains is £53 million. The Department for Transport will work with the railway industry to establish a fund that will prioritise improved mobile communications on metropolitan and commuter train services into major cities across the country.

South West Trains

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the punctuality score of South West Trains was in each month between 1 January 2009 and 2014 to date; and what the (a) national average and (b) national punctuality target was in each such month.

Claire Perry: The Public Performance Measure is a measurement of operator punctuality against the planned services for the day. This information is published on the Government website. The rail industry works to a four-week period (13 such periods a year) not monthly; year start is 1 April.
	The information regarding South West Train’s performance by four-week period is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/proportion-of-trains-running-on-time
	The Public Performance Measure Moving Annual Average by period from January 2009 is as follows:
	
		
			 Year and period % PPM MAA 
			 2008/09_P10 90.8 
			 2008/09_P11 90.8 
			 2008/09_P12 90.5 
			 2008/09_P13 90.6 
			 2009/10_P01 90.7 
			 2009/10_P02 90.8 
			 2009/10_P03 90.9 
			 2009/10_P04 90.9 
			 2009/10_P05 91.2 
			 2009/10_P06 91.2 
			 2009/10_P07 91.3 
			 2009/10_P08 91.5 
			 2009/10_P09 91.8 
			 2009/10_P10 91.1 
			 2009/10_P11 91.1 
			 2009/10_P12 91.4 
			 2009/10_P13 91.5 
			 2010/11_P01 91.5 
			 2010/11_P02 91.5 
			 2010/11_P03 91.5 
			 2010/11_P04 91.5 
			 2010/11_P05 91.5 
			 2010/11_P06 91.5 
			 2010/11_P07 91.5 
			 2010/11_P08 91.2 
			 2010/11_P09 90.7 
			 2010/11_P10 90.8 
			 2010/11_P11 90.8 
			 2010/11_P12 90.9 
			 2010/11_P13 90.8 
			 2011/12_P01 90.7 
			 2011/12_P02 90.8 
			 2011/12_P03 90.8 
			 2011/12_P04 90.7 
			 2011/12_P05 90.6 
			 2011/12_P06 90.5 
			 2011/12_P07 90.4 
			 2011/12_P08 90.6 
			 2011/12_P09 91.1 
			 2011/12_P10 91.6 
			 2011/12_P11 91.7 
			 2011/12_P12 91.6 
			 2011/12_P13 91.6 
			 2012/13_P01 91.7 
			 2012/13_P02 91.6 
			 2012/13_P03 91.6 
			 2012/13_P04 91.6 
			 2012/13_P05 91.6 
			 2012/13_P06 91.7 
			 2012/13_P07 91.7 
			 2012/13_P08 91.7 
		
	
	
		
			 2012/13_P09 91.5 
			 2012/13_P10 91.4 
			 2012/13_P11 91.1 
			 2012/13_P12 91.1 
			 2012/13_P13 90.9 
			 2013/14_P01 90.9 
			 2013/14_P02 91.0 
			 2013/14_P03 91.0 
			 2013/14_P04 90.9 
			 2013/14_P05 90.8 
			 2013/14_P06 90.7 
			 2013/14_P07 90.7 
			 2013/14_P08 90.5 
			 2013/14_P09 90.4 
			 2013/14_P10 90.1 
			 2013/14_P11 90.3 
			 2013/14_P12 90.0 
			 2013/14_P13 90.0 
		
	
	The moving national average for performance for this year can be seen on Network Rail’s website at:
	http://www.networkrail.co.uk/about/performance/?cd=1
	There was no monthly national punctuality target in Control Period 4 (2009-14); the Office of Rail Regulation set annual targets by sector (Scotland, Long-Distance, Regional and, London and South East). These targets are available at:
	http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/2180/383.pdf

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Claire Perry: The Department for Transport comprises the Central Department and five Agencies, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Highways Agency (HA), Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) ceased to be an executive agency on the 1 October 2012 when its functions were transferred to the central Department.
	We are unable to provide information on the number of awaydays held over this period and their cost because this is not readily available and to collect this would incur disproportional costs.
	The Department is committed to investing in development to ensure that it’s people have the right skills at the right time to deliver our challenging agenda.
	Where possible, the Department uses its existing in-house training resources rather than external trainers. In addition, training events, awaydays etc are not held in chargeable venues unless there is no alternative and there is a clear and quantifiable work related outcome.
	Consideration is also given as to whether the intended aims of development can be met by means other than a formal course, such as workplace learning or e-learning – the latter of which is freely available via Civil Service Learning. All training is delivered in accordance with Cabinet Office Learning and Development controls.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Claire Perry: The Department spent £1,907.40 on media training for my hon. Friends, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr Goodwill) and the Minister of State, Baroness Kramer, in October 2013.
	No social media training has been provided for Ministers in this period.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Anti-Semitism

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to tackle anti-Semitic attacks (a) in Greater Manchester and (b) across the UK.

Stephen Williams: The Government committed to reduce the harm caused by hate crime, including anti-Semitic crime, in ‘Challenge it, Report it, Stop it: The Government’s Plan to Tackle Hate Crime’ published in 2012 and refreshed in May 2014. Since 2010 this Government has done more than ever to tackle anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic attacks.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government hosts the Anti-Semitism Working Group which brings community representatives together with officials from across Government to ensure a coordinated response to emerging challenges, whether they are domestic, online or international. The Department also partially funds the Cross-Government Hate Crime Programme which leads on a broad range of activities including the development of 'True Vision' an online facility to provide information to victims and practitioners and to allow anyone to report hate crime online.
	The Department works closely with the Community Security Trust, the police and the Home Office to tackle anti-Semitic incidents. For example, in the wake of the recent desecration of Jewish graves in Blackley in Greater Manchester, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government wrote to the CEO of the Community Security Trust, an organisation that looks after the security needs of the Jewish community, expressing his sadness at the desecration and offering support.
	To ensure we remember the Holocaust, and keep the memory of those lost alive, the Department also supports the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission.

Fire Services

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average response time was for a first appliance to a fire incident in England in a (a) dwelling and (b) non-dwelling in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14 for each brigade in England.

Penny Mordaunt: To assist the right hon. Member, a table giving the latest available information has been placed in the Library of the House. Information for 2013-14 response times is not currently available and will be published on 7 August 2014.
	Overall, average response times in England in the most recent year available are broadly unchanged from 2010-11.

Fire Services: Industrial Disputes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2014, Official Report, column 311, on the firefighters' dispute, what his proposals are to resolve the firefighters' dispute; and if he will make a statement.

Penny Mordaunt: The consultation on the draft regulations has now concluded and whilst final decisions are still to be taken on the detail of the scheme design, representative bodies and the employers were informed on 9 July that the Department had decided to reinstate the offer made in June last year, regarding more generous actuarial reductions to the pensions of firefighters who retire between the ages of 55 and 57. The actuarial reduction rate applied to benefits accrued in the 2015 scheme would be 21.8% at age 55, and 17.9% at age 56, using today’s assumptions. This compares favourably with the Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 2006, where the reduction at age 55 is around 40%, and at age 56 is around 38%. All pension benefits built up by a member in their current scheme will be fully protected, calculated on their final salary, and can be taken on retirement from the member’s current pension age without actuarial reduction. On top of this, as set out in the recent consultation, our proposals include a significant reduction in employee contribution rates for firefighters transferring from the 1992 Scheme to the 2015 Scheme. Contributions for such a firefighter earning £29,000 a year will go down from 14.2% to 12.2% in April 2015.
	Despite these arrangements, the Fire Brigades Union has continued with its campaign of strike action. Progress towards resolving this dispute remains entirely in their hands.

Fire Services: Northern Ireland

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the terms are of the firefighter pensions offer agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the suitability for other negotiations of the accrual rate for pension entitlement used within the offer agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive in negotiations on firefighter pensions;
	(3)  whether the Northern Ireland Executive’s offer to firefighters on pensions is cost neutral.

Penny Mordaunt: The pension arrangements to apply to firefighters in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Northern Ireland is not covered by the Public Service Pensions Act 2013 which requires a normal pension age of 60 to apply to firefighters in England, Scotland and Wales.

Fire Services: Pensions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the actuarial reduction for a firefighter who retires earlier than normal pension age under the proposed new pension scheme for firefighters is calculated from the state pension age and not the scheme's normal pension age.

Penny Mordaunt: Under the terms of the Proposed Final Agreement for the firefighters’ pension scheme 2015 in England the actuarial reduction for a firefighter who retired earlier than the scheme’s normal pension age but at the age of 57 or above would have been calculated from the normal pension age. The actuarial reduction for a firefighter who retired between the ages of 55 and 57 would have been calculated from their state pension age. However, in the light of responses received to the second consultation on the firefighters’ pension scheme 2015, the Government decided to reinstate its offer, first made in June 2013, under which all actuarial reductions in the case of early retirement are calculated from the normal pension age. This decision was communicated in a letter to chief fire officers and chairs of fire authorities on 9 July 2014. The letter can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/firefighters-pension-scheme-reforms
	and I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

Fire Services: Pensions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a formal valuation of the existing firefighters' pensions schemes has been carried out since the Government Actuary's Department published its formal valuation in 2009.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government Actuary's Department is currently undertaking a valuation of the firefighters' pension schemes in England as at 31 March 2012, which is expected to report later this year. There have been no other valuations of the schemes since 2009.

Fire Services: Pensions

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government Actuary's Department has considered what accrual rate for the proposed 2015 firefighters' pension scheme would allow retirement at 55 without an actuarial reduction.

Penny Mordaunt: A reformed firefighters’ pension scheme that provided for early retirement before the Normal Pension Age of 60, without an actuarial reduction, would be unlawful under the terms of the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.

Fire Services: Retirement

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has tasked the National Board with setting guidelines on making decisions on ill-health retirement for firefighters.

Penny Mordaunt: The rules governing entitlement to an ill-health pension are set out in the firefighters' pension schemes regulations. A firefighter is entitled to an ill-health pension if they are permanently incapacitated from undertaking their role. Decisions on ill-health retirement are taken by the fire and rescue authority in the first instance and the authority is bound by the opinion of an independent qualified medical practitioner. A firefighter may appeal against an authority's decision on an issue of a medical nature to a board of medical referees.

Housing: Construction

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to promote off-site methods of house building construction.

Brandon Lewis: The Government wants to see high quality housing built quickly and efficiently and is working closely with the housebuilding and construction industry to encourage greater use of innovative approaches, including advanced housing manufacturing and construction.
	We are also encouraging the use of innovative construction techniques through our National Planning Practice Guidance, published in March 2014 and our Build to Rent and Affordable Homes 2015-18 programmes.
	In addition, Ministers have made a number of visits to developments recently, highlighting the quality and speed of construction benefits that advanced manufacturing can bring.

Housing: Construction

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish his Department's review of the New Homes Bonus.

Brandon Lewis: Officials are currently finalising the evaluation report before submitting it to Ministers. The findings of the evaluation will then be published in due course.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Brandon Lewis: As of the end of March 2014 the Public Sector Land Programme had disposed of land capable of delivering over 76,000 homes in England.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government, through the Homes and Communities Agency, has contributed land capable of delivering over 14,000 homes to the Programme. We are continuing to rationalise our estate, delivering cost savings and better value for money for the taxpayer.
	In the final year of this programme we are continuing to dispose of land capable of delivering much needed homes and are on course to meet our ambition to dispose of land capable of delivering 100,000 homes by April 2015.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds.

Kris Hopkins: The Department subscribes to Swets Information Services Ltd and Jones Yarrell Leadenhall Ltd for our newspapers and magazines.
	The Department spent £113,308 on newspapers, periodicals and magazines in 2009-10; this was reduced by 78% to £24,879 in 2013-14 and we are taking further steps to reduce administrative spending across the board.
	On television channels, we do not currently subscribe to any channels. By contrast, the Department under the last Administration spent £5,549 on premium Sky channels, which included television for the (now closed) Darts Bar.

Private Rented Housing

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish his Department’s response to the Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector and a summary of the views submitted in response to that consultation. [R]

Brandon Lewis: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 292W.

Ramadan

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Iftari events he is attending during Ramadan.

Stephen Williams: Ministers in the Department have undertaken the following events:
	Baroness Stowell
	CSCA Centre Iftar, Manor House—12 July 2014
	Baroness Warsi
	Lambeth Palace Iftar—16 July 2014
	Stephen Williams
	Chaul End Community Centre Iftar, Luton—6 July 2014
	Alyth Synagogue Iftar, Alyth Gardens—7 July 2014
	Easton Community Centre Iftar, Bristol—13 July 2014
	The Secretary of State and Baroness Warsi are due to attend more Iftari events during Ramadan.

Revenue and Customs

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions have taken place on the future of sites in Telford as part of the Building for the Future programme.

Penny Mordaunt: There have been no explicit discussions abut a ‘Building for the Future’ programme.
	However as part of the recently announced Growth Deal with The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership my officials are in regular discussion with both the Partnership and Telford and Wrekin council about the use of land assets in Telford managed by the Homes and Communities Agency and the joint stewardship arrangements.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Kris Hopkins: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not spent any money on (a) media training or (b) social media training for Ministers in the Department since May 2010.
	I note that the parliamentary record states that Ministers in the last Administration from 2008 to 2010 spent £2,115 on public speaking training and £650 on professional development (as outlined in 30 March 2009, Official Report, column 966W).

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Helen Grant: DCMS policy on alcohol consumption on the premises is that, managers are expected to ensure that office parties do not cause disruption to the work of the office, and that drinking during working hours does not otherwise impact on the performance and reputation of the Department. In addition, all civil servants are expected to carry out standards of behaviour as set out in the Civil Service Code. Private Offices are subject to the same policy as the rest of DCMS:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

Mobile Phones

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport When he expects the mobile infrastructure project to be completed.

Edward Vaizey: The news release issued on MIP in July last year referred to sites being acquired and built by 2015. Intensive work is continuing to deliver coverage to areas currently without, and this project remains a high priority for the Government. Providing coverage to some of the more remote and sensitive locations has been challenging but this project has brought together the four mobile network operators for the first time to find solutions. Proposals and timeframes to tackle these issues and to secure long-term mobile coverage capabilities for the future are being finalised with further communications expected in the autumn.

Mobile Phones

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) masts are operational and (b) premises receive a mobile signal as a result of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Edward Vaizey: The first site to go live was Weaverthorpe in North Yorkshire in September 2013, providing coverage to over 200 premises in North Yorkshire. The second site has been built in North Molton in Devon and will be operational shortly, estimated to reach more than 200 premises. Once potential sites have been identified, network connections need to be found, sites need to be acquired and planning consent achieved. This work is underway and ongoing.

Mobile Phones: Cambridgeshire

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many masts will be erected in Cambridgeshire as part of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Edward Vaizey: The Mobile Infrastructure Project implementation plan identified seven potential masts for Cambridgeshire. Coverage by the mobile network operators has shifted as they begin roll out of 4G, leading to improvements in coverage in some areas and changes in the number and locations of not spots. DCMS officials and Arqiva, delivery partner for the Mobile Infrastructure Project, are incorporating these changes into the project's planning. Once this planning is finalised any changes will be communicated to planning authorities.

Mobile Phones: Cambridgeshire

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of how many premises in Cambridgeshire will benefit from the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Edward Vaizey: We expect that over 150 premises in Cambridgeshire will benefit from the Mobile Infrastructure Project. The build of all masts under the Mobile Infrastructure Project is dependent on a number of unknown factors for each potential mast, including finding a willing landlord for the mast and obtaining planning permission.

Mobile Phones: Cambridgeshire

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many masts are operational in Cambridgeshire as a result of the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Edward Vaizey: There are not yet any masts operational in Cambridgeshire. We estimate that work will commence on Cambridgeshire masts over the coming months. The build of all masts under the Mobile Infrastructure Project is dependent on a number of unknown factors for each potential mast, including finding a willing landlord for the mast and obtaining planning permission.

Mobile Phones: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 7 July 2014, Official Report, column 15W, on mobile telephones: Herefordshire, whether officials of his Department commissioned or carried out drive testing to check the level of coverage in Fownhope.

Edward Vaizey: No drive testing has been carried out in Fownhope but Government is currently looking at what can be done to extend mobile coverage across the country.

National Lottery: North Yorkshire

Andrew Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the total amount of money awarded to good causes by the National Lottery in (a) Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency and (b) North Yorkshire in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: National Lottery funding figures for the Harrogate and Knaresborough constituency in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Number of grants Total value (£) 
			 2013 29 8,645,453 
			 2012 22 624,654 
			 2011 23 1,622,769 
			 2010 25 1,710,701 
			 2009 23 600,362 
			 Note: The 2013 figure is much higher as there was a grant of £6.8 million to Your Consortium, a charity based in Knaresborough. 
		
	
	National Lottery funding figures for North Yorkshire in each of the last five years:
	
		
			  Number of grants Total value (£) 
			 2013 263 26,491,173 
			 2012 261 12,087,874 
			 2011 266 12,517,310 
			 2010 250 11,224,497 
			 2009 300 8,454,417

National Lottery: Video Games

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the National Lottery about extending funding to the video games industry.

Edward Vaizey: No specific discussions have taken place with the national lottery about the use of lottery funding in relation to the video games industry. This Government has restored the lottery shares for heritage sports, and arts good causes to 20%, so contributing to a significant increase in lottery funding for those areas since the beginning of this Parliament. It is for individual distributing bodies to determine the beneficiaries of lottery monies in making awards within their good cause sectors, taking account of their policy directions.

Television: Licensing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many households in Northern Ireland held a black and white television licence in January (a) 2009 and (b) 2014.

Edward Vaizey: The number of black and white TV licences held in Northern Ireland at the end of 2013 was 818. TV Licensing, the agency which administers the TV licensing system, does not have enough detail from 2009 to perform the same calculation for that year.

Video Games

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he has had discussions with Pan European Game Information on its pricing structure and effect on the UK video games industry.

Edward Vaizey: While we have not had any recent discussions about pricing structure, PEGI—via the UK Games Rating Authority—formally notified my Department recently that the general fees for obtaining a PEGI classification are being increased by 5% from 1 July 2014, the first increase for five years.
	In 2012 my Department brought into force a statutory requirement for PEGI classifications for hard copy video games that are unsuitable for younger children. A full business impact assessment was produced for this policy in discussion with industry and with PEGI. My Department will continue to monitor the impact of the statutory classification requirements for video games sold in the UK and we are committed to a formal review of the policy in 2015.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Air Conditioning

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the monthly electricity demand deriving from air conditioning in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales and (e) Northern Ireland in each month since June 2010.

Matthew Hancock: DECC publishes estimates of annual consumption from air-conditioning in Energy Consumption in the UK, 2013, Table 5.15.
	
		
			  Air-conditioning total, TWh 
			 2010 18.31 
			 2011 18.63 
			 2012 19.06 
		
	
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-consumption-in-the-uk

Energy: Meters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the total cost of purchasing and installing smart meters in homes; and how it is intended that the costs will be recouped.

Edward Davey: The Government’s Smart Metering Impact Assessment estimates a net present value benefit of £6.2 billion based on present value costs of £10.9 billion and present value benefits of £17.1 billion for an appraisal period up to 2030.
	The Government expects that both costs and cost savings will be passed to consumers by competing energy suppliers through energy bills as is the case with traditional meters.

Energy: Meters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who is responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing smart meters which develop faults (a) less than 12 months and (b) more than 12 months after installation.

Edward Davey: Energy suppliers are responsible for maintaining all meters in domestic premises. It is standard industry practice to obtain warranties from meter manufacturers to cover the cost of repair and replacement of several years’ duration.

Energy: Meters

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what sanctions suppliers will face if their smart prepayment meters are not ready by the deadline.

Edward Davey: Energy suppliers are required as part of their licence conditions to take all reasonable steps to install smart meters in domestic and smaller non-domestic premises by the end of 2020. Ofgem is responsible for ensuring compliance with this obligation and monitor suppliers to ensure that they abide by their licence conditions. If suppliers are found in breach of these conditions, Ofgem can issue an enforcement order to ensure suppliers comply with their licence conditions, and impose financial penalties of up to 10% of the licensee’s turnover.

Energy: Meters

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the highest amount is that suppliers can charge an individual customer to recover the cost of installing a smart meter.

Edward Davey: It is a matter for competing energy suppliers to determine the charge to their customers.

Energy: Meters

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether smart meters will be connected to the internet; and what steps have been taken to ensure that they cannot be hacked into.

Edward Davey: Smart meters will operate on a secure machine-to-machine system that only authorised parties, such as energy suppliers and network companies, can access. A robust smart metering security architecture has been established to prevent unauthorised access. This was developed in consultation with leading experts from within industry and Government and is underpinned by appropriate regulatory and technical security requirements.

Energy: Northern Ireland

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether charity and community organisations in Northern Ireland can apply for grants to the Big Energy Saving Network.

Matthew Hancock: The Big Energy Saving Network provides grant funding to charity, community and other third sector organisations to provide help and advice to electricity and gas consumers in the energy markets of England, Scotland and Wales. The Network is not operational in Northern Ireland as domestic gas and electricity policy and regulation are transferred to the Northern Ireland Executive.
	The Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation (the Regulator) is proposing to introduce a new Consumer Protection Strategy which will coordinate the approach to further protection of electricity, gas and water consumers, particularly those deemed vulnerable consumers.

Energy: Prices

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much carbon dioxide is saved per pound of CfD strike price offered for (a) advanced conversion technologies, (b) anaerobic digestion, (c) biomass conversion, (d) dedicated biomass (with chp), (e) energy from waste (with chp), (f) geothermal, (g) hydro, (h) landfill gas, (i) offshore wind, (j) onshore wind, (k) sewage gas, (l) large solar photo-voltaic (m) tidal stream and (n) wave.

Matthew Hancock: The amount of carbon saved per MWh of renewable generation will depend upon what is assumed about the mix of technologies displaced, which is uncertain. In order to determine the carbon saved per pound of support, CfD strike prices should also be adjusted for wholesale electricity prices.

Energy: Prices

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps he has taken to make switching energy supplier quicker.

Matthew Hancock: Since our challenge to industry in the Annual Energy Statement to cut switching times, the Department has worked with Ofgem and the industry to bring forward changes to industry rules to enable and secured industry commitment to a halving switching time from 5 weeks to 2 weeks and 3 days by the end of this year.
	My ambition is to see switching times reduced to 24 hours and Ofgem has now brought forward a consultation on how this can be achieved. The Department will continue to work with Ofgem and industry to deliver this in a reliable and cost effective way as quickly as possible.

Energy: Prices

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total cost to consumers over the next 25 years of contract for difference and renewables obligation levy payments for (a) new nuclear, (b) offshore wind, (c) onshore wind, (d) hydro and (e) large-scale solar PV.

Matthew Hancock: The contract for difference and renewables obligation levy payments over 25 years will depend on a number of factors, for example the post-2020 deployment pathway, strike price degression, long-term electricity prices and the timing of moves to a competitive price discovery process. For a detailed assessment of EMR, including cost-benefit analysis and consumer bill impacts, please refer to the Delivery Plan Impact Assessment.1
	The Electricity Market Reform Delivery Plan2 set out strike prices for renewable technologies for the period 2014-15 to 2018-19. They provide a basis for renewable electricity to achieve at least 30% of generation by 2020, in line with the EU renewables target. The generation mix beyond the period of the first Delivery Plan, from 1 April 2019, will be influenced by how individual technologies develop in the coming decade. We are committed to maximising value for money for consumers.
	Chapter 6 of the Delivery Plan describes potential deployment requirements beyond 2020. It explores three levels of carbon intensity and three technology deployment scenarios as an illustration of a range of alternative pathways to meeting our post-2020 objective to reduce carbon emissions by at least 80% of 1990 levels by 2050. These scenarios are indicative: the electricity generation mix through the 2020s is unlikely to match any one of these scenarios exactly.
	As an indicative estimate, the ranges of costs in the six scenarios set out in Chapter 6 of the Delivery Plan are shown in the following table.3 Costs are aggregated over the next 25 years from 2015 to 2040, discounted to 2012 and in 2012 prices.
	
		
			 Indicative range of levy payments from 2015-40 
			 £ billion, real 2012 
			  RO payments CfD payments 
			 Nuclear 0 1-47 
			 Offshore wind 12-13 17-79 
			 Onshore wind 11-12 <2 
			 Hydro <1 <1 
			 Large-scale solar PV <2 <2 
			 Source: DECC Modelling. 
		
	
	The Levy Control framework, already agreed to 2020-21, is in place to control future costs to consumers and ensure these policies achieve their objectives cost effectively and affordably.
	1Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/288463/final_delivery_plan_ia.pdf
	2Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268221/181213_2013_EMR_Delivery_Plan_FINAL.pdf
	3 Scenario with 100g CO2/kWh in 2030; Deployment Mix with Lower Grid Carbon Intensity in 2030 (50g CO2/kWh); Deployment Mix with Higher Grid Carbon Intensity in 2030 (200g CO2/kWh); Scenario showing higher deployment rates of CCS; Scenario showing higher deployment rates of nuclear generation; Scenario showing higher deployment rates of offshore wind.

Energy: Prices

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy costs paid by the consumer will be attributable to the capacity market in each year between 2016 and 2026.

Matthew Hancock: The Government published its latest Impact Assessment on the Capacity Market in June 2014.1 This shows that the impact of the capacity market is estimated to be an increase in the average annual domestic electricity bill of £2 (or 0.3%) over the period 2016-30 (in 2012 prices). In percentage terms, the impacts on non-domestic bills are of similar magnitude. The impacts on electricity bills for individual years are uncertain but Table 7 of the Impact Assessment sets out the impact for each five-year period from 2011 to 2030.
	We will shortly be publishing updated Capacity Market analysis, including revised household bill impacts, to take account of the decision of the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), on the amount of capacity to procure in the first delivery year (2018-19). We do not expect this change to have a material impact on the costs to consumers.
	1 Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324430/Final_Capacity_Market_Impact_Assessment.pdf

Energy: Prices

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of National Audit Office analysis indicating that £29 million will be available for Contracts for Difference contracts in 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: Indicative CfD budgets, including for Contracts for Difference contracts in 2015-16, will be published later this month.

Fracking

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the volume of water required in shale gas extraction for (a) a single hydraulic fracture and (b) over the course of a well's lifetime.

Edward Davey: The recent Strategic Environmental Assessment for further onshore oil and gas licensing, carried out by AMEC on behalf of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, estimated that between 10,000 and 25,000 cubic metres of water would be required for hydraulic fracturing of each well and it is predicted that each well might be re-fractured once during its lifetime.
	In this context, Water UK, which represents the water industry, and UK Onshore Operators Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which ensures their respective members will cooperate throughout the shale gas exploration and extraction process in order to minimise adverse effects on water resources and the environment.

Meetings

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what dates he has met representatives from (a) Cuadrilla, (b) Dart Energy, (c) iGas, (d) Europa Oil and Gas, (e) Greenpeace, (f) Friends of the Earth and (g) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in each month since June 2010.

Matthew Hancock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State’s meetings with external organisations from July 2012 to December 2013 have been published and can be found on the www.gov.uk website at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change&publication_type=transparency-data
	Meetings prior to July 2012 are now available on the National Archives website at the following link:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130102164008/http:/www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/registers/ministermtgs/ministermtgs.aspx
	Meetings from January 2014 to date are currently being collated and checked prior to publication. Please be assured that the Department is committed to publishing this information.

Natural Gas

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total amount of gas consumed in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each month since June 2010.

Matthew Hancock: Gas consumption estimates for Great Britain are based on annualised meter consumption readings supplied to DECC by energy companies. Monthly estimates are not available.
	Annual data is also available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sub-national-gas-consumption-data

Natural Gas: Imports

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the quantity of gas imported to the UK through the (a) Bacton-Zeebrugge pipeline and (b) the St Fergus-Frigg/Heimdal pipeline in each month since June 2010.

Matthew Hancock: The Department publishes monthly statistics back to January 2000 on gas imports to the UK within Energy Trends table 4.4. The table includes the quantity of gas imported to the UK through the Bacton-Zeebrugge Interconnector and the Vesterled pipeline to St Fergus Frigg sub terminal. The latest version of Energy Trends table 4.4 can be accessed here:
	http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/323246/et4_4.xls

Natural Gas: Rural Areas

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assistance the Government is offering rural communities to connect to mains gas supplies where no such infrastructure currently exists.

Matthew Hancock: Ofgem, the regulator for the gas and electricity markets, administers two schemes that assist customers wishing to connect to the gas grid.
	All households are eligible for the Domestic Load Connection Allowance if they are situated within 23 metres of an existing gas distribution network. The cost of the first ten metres of connection on public land is borne by the gas network operator.
	The Assisted Gas Connection Scheme is aimed at consumers who live in fuel poverty. Ofgem announced earlier this year that they would continue with the scheme for the 2013-21 price control period, with an objective to connect 80,000 new vulnerable households to the gas network. The amount of money available for each connection is capped at a level set by Ofgem to ensure cost-effectiveness of the scheme.

Natural Gas: Scotland

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount of gas transferred from (a) Scotland to England and (b) England to Scotland through onshore interconnectors in each month since June 2010.

Matthew Hancock: The Department does not collect or publish statistics on the flow of gas between Scotland and England and vice-versa.

Natural Gas: Storage

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of total gas storage capacity in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland; and how much such capacity is (i) short range storage and (ii) long range storage.

Matthew Hancock: Total gas storage capacity in England is 4.63 bcm. This includes the 3.3 bcm Rough facility located in the Southern North Sea. In addition, there are two projects currently under construction in England which will bring full gas storage capacity to 5.13 bcm when completed.
	There are no gas storage facilities currently located in Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
	Of the existing gas storage capacity, 3.3 bcm (the Rough facility) is long range and 1.33 bcm is short range. The two projects currently under construction, totalling 0.5 bcm, are both short range facilities.

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) safety and (b) security events were reported to him by the Office for Nuclear Regulation in each 12 month period since May 2010; and what action was taken to correct the problems highlighted in each such case.

Matthew Hancock: Information provided to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), on reportable nuclear safety and security events since May 2010 (including transportation of radioactive material) can be found in the following published documents, which also describe actions taken by the regulator:
	Nuclear safety
	Office for Nuclear Regulation quarterly statements of nuclear incidents at nuclear installations:
	http://www.onr.org.uk/quarterly-stat/index.htm
	Transportation of radioactive material
	Radiological Consequences Resulting from Accidents and Incidents Involving the Transport of Radioactive Materials in the UK – 2010 and 2011 respectively:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/Publications/Radiation/CRCEScientificAndTechnicalReportSeries/HPACRCE024/
	and
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/webc/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1317135870611
	Nuclear security
	The state of security in the civil nuclear industry and the effectiveness of security regulation, April 2009 to March 2011 and April 2011 to March 2012 respectively:
	http://www.onr.org.uk/ocns/ocns0911.pdf
	and
	http://www.onr.org.uk/documents/cn-security-annual-review.pdf
	ONR Annual Reports
	Office for Nuclear Regulation Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Annual Report 2013:
	http://www.onr.org.uk/documents/cni-annual-report-2013.pdf
	and Office for Nuclear Regulation Annual Report and Financial Position (including Chief Nuclear Inspector’s Annual Statement) 2013/14:
	http://www.onr.org.uk/documents/2014/onr-annual-report-1314.pdf

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Amber Rudd: Gathering and analysing the information necessary to respond to the question would incur disproportionate cost.

Solar Power

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department will next review the 2.4-4GWp range for large-scale deployment of solar PV to 2020-21 indicated in the Electricity Market Reform delivery plan: solar PV and other technology feed-in tariffs up to 50 kWp; and if he will make a statement.

Matthew Hancock: We plan to re-assess the likely deployment ranges for all low carbon technologies, including that for large scale solar PV, in the 2015 update to the electricity market reform delivery plan. We will consider the amount of small-scale solar deployed to-date as part of the feed-in tariff scheme review planned for 2015.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in her Private Office.

Dan Rogerson: Policy on the consumption of alcohol on the premises applies to all civil servants working in Core DEFRA.
	The Core DEFRA Code of conduct states that employees must not consume alcohol on DEFRA premises except in organised social/launch events where permission is granted by a Senior Manager (Grade 6 or above). Civil servants must present for work in a fit state and never under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs.

Antibiotics: Agriculture

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward legislative proposals to restrict the use of antibiotics on farms to the treatment of sick animals.

George Eustice: The EU veterinary medicinal products directive is the core legislation which sets out the framework for controls on veterinary medicines, including veterinary antibiotics, within EU member states. The European Commission is expected to publish proposals for the revision of the EU legislative framework later this year.
	The Government's position is that any changes to the EU legislation, including changes to controls on veterinary antibiotics, should be evidence based and take into account the potential impact on animal health and welfare.

Billing

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by her Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years.

Dan Rogerson: Core DEFRA has controls in place to prevent duplicate payments being made to suppliers. These include careful checking of each invoice against evidence of delivery and against any previous payments in respect of the relevant purchase order. External and internal audit reviews of key financial controls have found no evidence of weakness that would lead to duplicate payments. There are also regular reviews of expenditure against budgets which would quickly bring to light unexpected payments and would lead to immediate action for recovery.
	Core DEFRA is carrying out a spend recovery audit, as part of a Cabinet Office initiative on fraud and error which we expect to conclude by autumn 2014.

Common Agricultural Policy

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of the CAP reforms on farmers.

George Eustice: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 23 June 2014, Official Report, column 63W.

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the annual cost to her Department of (a) stationery and (b) postage incurred when sending a ministerial reply to hon. Members; and if she will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: This information is not recorded.

Correspondence

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has any plans to increase the number of replies within her Department’s working day standard; and if she will make a statement.

Dan Rogerson: Guidance for Departments on handling correspondence from Members of Parliament allows Departments to set a target for replying of up to a maximum of 20 working days. Within this limit, core DEFRA has set a target of 15 working days.
	Core DEFRA continually reviews processes with a view to improving the service we provide.

Grasslands

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the proportion of (a) limestone grasslands, (b) marshy grasslands, (c) acid grasslands, (d) lowland meadows and pastures and (e) upland hay meadows that has been lost in each of the last 10 years.

George Eustice: DEFRA has not undertaken an estimate of this nature. Natural England published an inventory of priority grassland habitats in 2013 which shows the current area of each priority grassland habitat type as follows:
	
		
			 Priority grassland habitat type Area (Ha) 
			 Upland calcareous grassland 10,353 
			 Upland hay meadows 3,525 
			 Purple moorgrass and rush pasture 9,328 
			 Lowland calcareous grassland 65,567 
			 Lowland dry acid grassland 15,453 
			 Lowland meadows 3,6129 
			 Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh 218,182 
			 Total 358,537 
		
	
	An England-wide sampling framework is under development to enable monitoring activity. This is to contribute to an assessment of trends in habitat extent and condition.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much land her Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Dan Rogerson: The Department has contributed land capable of delivering 11,675 homes to the Programme. We are continuing to rationalise our estate, delivering cost savings and better value for money for the taxpayer.

Landfill

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the success of steps taken to meet the 2013 and 2020 EU landfill directive.

Dan Rogerson: We are confident that we will have met the 2013 landfill diversion target and will meet the 2020 target set out in the EU landfill directive.
	In October 2013 we published an analysis of progress against the 2020 target, which can be found on the gov.uk website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/forecasting-2020-waste-arisings-and-treatment-capacity-norfolk-county-council-residual-waste-treatment-project
	The analysis concludes that there is a high likelihood of meeting or exceeding the 2020 target.
	Landfill tax is a key instrument to meeting the landfill diversion targets along with our policies and initiatives such as support of infrastructure to divert waste from landfill through the Waste Infrastructure Delivery Programme.

Nature Conservation

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many sites in England are designated as local wildlife sites and contain neutral grassland; how many sites in England containing neutral grassland have been de-selected as local wildlife sites in each of the last 10 years; and how many new sites in England containing neutral grassland have been designated as local wildlife sites in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many sites in England are currently designated as local wildlife sites; how many sites in England have been de-selected as local wildlife sites in each of the last 10 years; and how many new sites in England have been designated as local wildlife sites in each of the last 10 years.

George Eustice: Local wildlife sites are usually selected within a local authority area. This process is often managed by the local Wildlife Trust along with representatives of the local authority and other local wildlife conservation groups. Local sites are afforded protection through the National Planning Policy Framework.
	DEFRA receives annual reports from local authorities on the number and management of local wildlife sites. The latest data published in the 2013 update of our England Biodiversity indicators show that there were 43,500 local wildlife sites in the 2011-12 reporting period. We do not hold national information on the numbers of new or de-selected local wildlife sites, nor the specific habitat within those sites.
	An England-wide sampling framework is under development to enable monitoring activity to contribute to an assessment of trends in habitat extent and condition.

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials employed by her Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Dan Rogerson: Since 2010, 1,294 staff in Core DEFRA have remained in the same grade. Of these, 1,139 have received an increase to salary. The following table shows a breakdown of the number of staff by grade. Non-consolidated awards are not included.
	
		
			 Grade Number remained in Grade since 2010 Number received an increase to salary since 2010 
			 AA 11 11 
			 AO 138 133 
			 EO 218 127 
			 HEO 307 292 
			 FS 32 27 
			 SEO 184 176 
			 G7 294 281 
			 G6 48 43 
			 SCS 62 49 
		
	
	In 2010 and 2011 the majority of staff were subject to a pay freeze. Staff with salaries of £21,000 and below received an increase of £250 each year. In 2012 and 2013, staff received pay increases averaging 1% each year.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Dan Rogerson: The table below sets out details of payments made by the core Department.
	
		
			 Organisation 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 
			 (b) Serco 785,314 586,352 607,033 567,478 
			 (e) Capita 414,721 25,327 333,250 819,394 
			 (f) Atos 1,503,292 10,255 — — 
		
	
	No payments were made to the other organisations listed.

Regulation

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to simplify existing environmental, marine and agricultural regulations.

George Eustice: By contributing to Red Tape Challenge, DEFRA has reviewed over 1,200 of its regulations. As a result of these reviews DEFRA has made commitments to revoke or improve nearly 800 regulations and as well as a number of significant non-regulatory changes that will directly benefit business and the wider public. These include the reform of all regulatory guidance produced by DEFRA and its agencies by spring 2015, so that users can quickly access clear information on what they need; changes to data reporting obligations, to remove any duplicate and unnecessary requests for information; and plans to explore opportunities to simplify and reduce the number of compliance inspections on farms.
	These reforms are being made without reducing existing protection of the environment or animal and plant health and are detailed in a report entitled “DEFRA better for Business: A Strategic Reform Plan for DEFRA Regulations” which was published on 9 April 20141. DEFRA is working to deliver the vast majority of these proposals by April 2015 so that benefits can be felt quickly. Current estimates suggest that business could by then be saving £300 million per year as a result of these reforms.
	1https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/302112/pb14166-defra-better-for-business.pdf

HEALTH

Abortion

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women who underwent an abortion in 2013 had previously had an ectopic pregnancy.

Jane Ellison: Information on women who had an abortion and had previously had an ectopic pregnancy is not available.

Alcoholic Drinks

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department’s policy is on alcohol consumption on the premises (a) in general and (b) during parties in his Private Office.

Daniel Poulter: Alcohol may only be provided at special events, within strict cost limits and with the prior approval of the Department’s director-general for finance. Public money is not used to fund occasions such as social gatherings, retirement or office parties.
	We also encourage the provision of non-alcohol drinks at all these events. Any parties held in Private Offices will follow the same guidelines as departmental policy.

Antibiotics

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to put in place a media campaign to educate the public about alternatives to antibiotics.

Jane Ellison: The Department is working with other Government Departments to co-ordinate implementation of the Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy including improving public and professional understanding and awareness.
	Public Health England (PHE) is leading on work to improve public knowledge, attitudes and behaviours in relation to antimicrobial resistance in collaboration with partners across the health and social care sector in England.
	PHE is co-ordinating work on European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) for England. EAAD is a European initiative which takes place on 18 November each year and aims to promote prudent antibiotic use among professionals and the public.
	PHE are also working with the Department to explore the potential for additional targeted media work.

Babies: Screening

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS spent on neonatal heel prick tests in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

Daniel Poulter: The requested data is not held centrally.

Babies: Screening

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which diseases the NHS screens by using the neonatal heel prick test for newborn babies.

Daniel Poulter: Current screening for newborn blood spot programme includes: Phenylketonuria, Congenital Hypothyroidism, Cystic Fibrosis, Medium-Chain Acyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency and Sickle Cell Disease.
	Expanded screening due to commence nationally January 2015 will include: Maple Syrup Urine Disease, Homocystinuria, Isovaleric acidaemia and Glutaric Aciduria Type 1.

Breast Cancer

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health trusts in England provide breast cancer patients with a clinical nurse specialist.

Daniel Poulter: Information on which health trusts in England provide breast cancer patients with a clinical nurse specialist is available from the National Peer Review Programme, which is a quality assurance programme managed by NHS England for the national health service and is in the following table.
	The Government has supported the development of a range of specialist roles within nursing. Specialist nurses provide invaluable support for people with cancer and their families. They are able to provide specialist treatment and advice and act as a gateway to other members of the multidisciplinary team, which improves care and outcomes.
	Through the Mandate, we have asked NHS England to deliver continued improvements in relation to the experience of care, including cancer care. It is for local NHS organisations with their knowledge of the health care needs of their local population to invest in training for specialist skills and to deploy specialist nurses.
	In the latest Cancer Patient Experience Survey (2013), 88% of patients reported being given the name of a clinical nurse specialist. We want every cancer patient to have access to appropriate care, support and information–but this must be affordable and sustainable for the NHS. That is why it remains for local organisations to decide whether to invest in new one-to-one support roles.
	
		
			 Health trusts in England which provide breast cancer patients with a clinical nurse specialist 
			 Trust Multi disciplinary team (MDT) Number 
			 Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Addenbrookes 2 
			 Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Aintree 3 
			 Airedale NHS Trust MDT—Airedale 2 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Barnsley Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Barnsley 2 
			 Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Basildon and Thurrock 3 
			 Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital 3 
			 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Bedford 3 
			 Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust MDT—Blackpool Teaching Hospitals Trust 3 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust MDT—BLT for East London 2 
			 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT— Bradford 3 
			 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust MDT—Broomfield (Chelmsford) 2 
			 Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—BSUH 5 
			 Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust 2 
			 Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Burton Hospital 3 
			 Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Calderdale and Huddersfield 3 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Charing Cross 2 
			 Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Chesterfield 3 
			 Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT - Countess of Chester 3 
			 Croydon University Hospital MDT—Croydon 2 
			 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust MDT—Dartford and Gravesham 2 
			 Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Derby Hospital 6 
			 Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust MDT—DMH/BAGH 6 
			 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Doncaster and Bassetlaw 5 
			 Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Dorset County Hospitals 2 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Ealing Hospital 2 
			 East Cheshire NHS Trust MDT—East Cheshire 3 
			 East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—East Lancashire Hospitals 2 
			 East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Eastbourne 3 
			 Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Frimley Park 2 
			 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Gateshead 6 
			 George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust MDT—George Eliot 2 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust MDT—Glenfield Hospital 2 
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Good Hope Hospital 4 
			 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Great Western Hospitals 2 
			 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Guy's and St Thomas' 3 
			 Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Harrogate 2 
			 East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Hastings 3 
		
	
	
		
			 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Heatherwood and Wexham 5 
			 Wye Valley NHS Trust MDT—Hereford Hospital 2 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Hillingdon 3 
			 Hinchingbrooke Health Care NHS Trust MDT—Hinchingbrooke 2 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Hull And East Yorkshire Hospitals 5 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—IoW 3 
			 Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Ipswich 2 
			 James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—James Paget 4 
			 Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Kettering 3 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—King George 2 
			 Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Kings College 7 
			 The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Kings Lynn 2 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Kingston 3 
			 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Lancashire Teaching Hospitals 2 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Leeds Teaching 5 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Lincoln County Hospital 3 
			 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS FoundationTrust MDT—Luton and Dunstable 2 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust MDT—Maidstone Hospital 6 
			 Medway NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Medway NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT —Mid Cheshire 4 
			 Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Mid Yorks 3 
			 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Milton Keynes General 2 
			 University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust MDT—Morecambe Bay Hospitals 3 
			 The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Newcastle 3 
			 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Norfolk and Norwich 3 
			 North Bristol NHS Trust MDT—North Bristol 3 
			 North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—North Cumbria 3 
			 Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—North Devon 2 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust MDT—North Middlesex University Hospital 2 
			 North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust MDT—North Tees And Hartlepool 2 
			 Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 4 
			 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospital 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Northumbria Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 9 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Northwick Park Hospital 1 
			 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 6 
			 Oxford University Hospitals MDT—Oxford University 5 
			 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Pennine Acute 6 
			 Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Peterborough 2 
			 United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Pilgrim Hospital Boston 2 
			 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Plymouth 2 
			 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Poole 4 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Portsmouth 4 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—PRUH 3 
			 East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust MDT—QE2 1 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—QEW 2 
			 South London Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—QMS 1 
			 East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mother 3 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Redditch 2 
			 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust MDT—RMH Sutton 2 
			 The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Rotherham 3 
			 Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Berkshire 4 
			 Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Bolton 2 
			 The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals 4 
			 Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Royal Cornwall 6 
			 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Devon and Exeter 6 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust MDT—Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 2 
			 Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Hampshire County Hospital 2 
			 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen 3 
			 The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Royal Marsden—Chelsea 3 
			 Royal Surrey County NHS Foundation Trust MDT—RSCH 4 
			 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust MDT—RUH 5 
			 Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust (RWST) MDT—RWST 2 
			 South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust MDT—S Warwickshire General 3 
			 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Salford 3 
			 Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Sandwell & West Birmingham 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Sheffield 6 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Sherwood Forest Hospitals 2 
			 Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Shrewsbury & Telford Hospitals 6 
			 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Solihull Hospital 4 
			 South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust MDT—South Devon 2 
			 South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—South Tees 5 
			 Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Southend 4 
			 Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Southport and Ormskirk 3 
			 West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—St Albans City Hospital 5 
			 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—St George's 2 
			 St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—St Helens and Knowsley 3 
			 Ashford and St Peters Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—St Peters 5 
			 Stockport NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Stockport 3 
			 City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Sunderland 2 
			 Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Surrey & Sussex 4 
			 Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Tameside & Glossop Acute 2 
			 Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Taunton 5 
			 The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust MDT—The Princess Alexandra Hospital 2 
			 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust 4 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust MDT—Tunbridge Wells 6 
			 Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust MDT—UHND 2 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—University College London Hospitals 2 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust MDT—University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 3 
			 University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust MDT—University Hospital North Staffordshire NHS Trust 6 
			 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust MDT —University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust MDT—University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust 4 
			 Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust MDT—Walsall Healthcare 3 
			 Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Warrington & Halton 3 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust MDT—West Middlesex 3 
			 West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust MDT—West Suffolk 3 
		
	
	
		
			 Weston Area Health NHS Trust MDT—Weston 2 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust MDT—Whipps Cross 7 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust MDT—Whittington Hospital 2 
			 East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust MDT—William Harvey 2 
			 Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Wirral 4 
			 Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust MDT—Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 5 
			 Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust (Worthing And Southlands) MDT—Worthing & Southlands 2 
			 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust MDT—Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh 3 
			 York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust MDT—York 5 
			 Source: The National Peer Review Programme CQuINS.

Buildings

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on refurbishing (a) gymnasium and leisure facilities, (b) cafeteria and (c) interior decoration in (i) his Department and (ii) buildings owned by his Department in (A) 2013 and (B) 2014 to date.

Daniel Poulter: The Department spent the following across the seven buildings which it owns or occupies:
	Gymnasium and leisure facilities:
	2013—£5,000
	2014 to date—£3,000
	Cafeteria:
	2013—£78,605
	2014 to date—£26,858
	Interior decoration:
	2013—£50,000
	2014 to date—£30,000.

Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the British Medical Association and cancer groups on studies of the potential effects of aspirin on cancer.

Jane Ellison: We know that research carried out so far shows that taking a low dose of aspirin daily may lower the risk of getting cancer and it may lower the risk of some cancers spreading to other parts of the body. However, aspirin can cause serious side effects such as internal bleeding and we have to be certain that the benefits of taking aspirin outweigh the risks.
	The third annual report of “Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer”, published in December 2013 reported that an international consensus statement on the use of aspirin in the general population has been developed by experts around the world, but is awaiting publication. Once the international consensus statement is published, we will assess what this means for policy in England, such as when the benefits might be outweighed by the disadvantages (particularly, the increased risk of gastric bleeds) and how best to manage the use of aspirin for prevention and treatment of cancer.
	Cancer Research UK advises that anyone thinking of taking aspirin to reduce the risk of getting cancer should talk to their doctor first.

Cancer: Older People

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research (a) his Department and (b) NHS England is undertaking into comparative cancer survival rates for older people in the UK and other European countries.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has undertaken some initial analysis of the causes of poorer survival rates in older people. This suggests that several issues contribute to poorer survival in older adults. These include the fact that the chances of diagnosis at emergency presentation increase with age and that older patients are more likely to have co-morbidity which may impact on survival during and after surgery. There is also some evidence that access to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for older patients has historically been worse than for younger patients. Previous work by the National Cancer Equality Initiative and the National Cancer Information Network has identified that cancer treatment rates decline with age.
	The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership has sought to understand how and why cancer survival varies between countries, including among older people. The partnership has generated insight and understanding that will help all partners improve cancer survival outcomes by optimising cancer policies and services.
	Evidence from this initiative suggests that late diagnosis and treatment are crucial factors in England having lower survival rates than other comparable countries (i.e. countries with good data collection systems and similar levels of development). We also know that the most important reasons for late diagnosis are low awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer; and delays in patients presenting to their doctors.

Care Quality Commission

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Care Quality Commission look at (a) current and (b) historic patient files and consent forms.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England and has a key responsibility in the overall assurance of safety and quality of health and adult social care services.
	The CQC has provided the following information:
	CQC looks at current and historic patient records when appropriate in order to assess the quality and safety of services registered with it. Patient records are commonly reviewed during CQC inspections, in compliance with the Data Protection Act, to see how well care at a service is planned, delivered and reviewed, and form an integral part of judging the quality of care. In order to protect the confidentiality of people who use services, and to comply with legal requirements, CQC will only look at patient files where it has decided that it is both necessary and proportionate to do so for the purpose of CQC’s regulatory functions. This approach is set out in CQC’s
	Code of Practice on Confidential Personal Information 
	and in guidance for inspectors on using CQC’s powers to access health and care records.
	The Code of Practice on Confidential Personal Information is available on CQC’s website at:
	www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/20121105_code_of_practice_on_cpi.pdf

Children: Abuse

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any files on child abuse have been passed to his Department by (a) other parts of the Government or (b) hon. Members; and in what year such files were so passed.

Daniel Poulter: We are not aware of any files being passed to the Department from other parts of the Government or hon. Members.

Consent to Medical Treatment

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients and their families are entitled to receive copies of consent forms they have signed.

Jane Ellison: It is a general legal and ethical principle that valid consent must be obtained from an individual before starting a treatment or physical intervention. For consent to be valid it must be given voluntarily by an appropriately informed person who has the capacity to consent to the intervention in question.
	It is the responsibility of the doctor undertaking the treatment or investigation to ensure that they (or someone they delegate) obtain valid consent. The key elements of the discussion with the patient, including any specific requests by the patient, should be properly recorded in a person’s medical record or in a consent form. This might include that a copy of a consent form has been requested by, or given to, the patient or to their family should the patient agree to that.
	The General Medical Council’s professional guidance on obtaining and recording consent, “Consent: patients and doctors making decisions together”, can be found at:
	www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/consent_guidance_index.asp
	Other sources of guidance for health care professionals on obtaining consent include the Department’s “Reference guide to consent for examination or treatment (Second Edition)”which can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/138296/dh_103653__1_.pdf
	and the British Medical Association’s consent toolkit which can be found at:
	http://bma.org.uk/practical-support-at-work/ethics/consent

Continuing Care

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken is in each health authority from a person being referred for a NHS Continuing Healthcare assessment to the eligibility decision being made.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not collect data regarding the time taken for individuals to be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare. The National Framework for NHS Continuing Healthcare and NHS-funded Nursing Care sets out that the time which elapses between completion of the Checklist (or other notification of potential eligibility) being received by the relevant clinical commissioning group, and a funding decision being made should, in most cases, not exceed 28 days.

Defibrillators

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that internal defibrillators be available on the NHS.

Jane Ellison: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators—internal defibrillators—are already available on the national health service.
	The decision about whether to implant a defibrillator into a patient is a clinical one which we would expect to take account of any relevant guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Depressive Illnesses

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of people who are (a) unemployed and (b) in work who have been diagnosed with depression have been treated with (i) anti-depressants and (ii) talking therapies in the last year.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not hold data on the proportion of people who are unemployed, or in work, who have been diagnosed with depression and have been treated with anti-depressants or talking therapies, in the last year.

Doctors

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of doctors against whom allegations of abuse made by patients have been in each year since 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department.
	The information requested is held by the General Medical Council, an independent body responsible for dealing firmly and fairly with doctors whose fitness to practise is in doubt.

Eating Disorders

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of (a) eating disorder beds and (b) eating disorder services have been delivered by the private sector in each year since 2010.

Norman Lamb: In April 2013, NHS England became responsible for commissioning specialised Eating Disorder Services. There are currently 460 beds available across England. 255 of these beds are provided by the national health service and the remainder by the Independent sector. Therefore 55.4% are provided by the NHS. Historical figures are not available as this data is maintained as a real-time list.
	NHS England does not hold data on services commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) which include non-specialised and community eating disorder services. CCG’s commissioning decisions are based on the needs of the local population and they are expected to take account of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

Eculizumab

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has made in its appraisal of Eculizumab.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 July 2014, Official Report, column 440W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien).

Food: Marketing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps in co-operation with major retailers to prevent unhealthy food being marketed more favourably than healthier foods.

Jane Ellison: The Department has been leading a programme of voluntary action by industry to rebalance their advertising and promotion, including by offering the healthier option as a default so that their customers can choose to follow a healthy, balanced diet.
	For example, major retailers such as Lidl and Tesco have committed to remove sweets and confectionery from all of their checkouts. The Department continues to encourage more partners to follow this example, and through programmes like Change4Life promotes such action.

Gender Recognition

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make it his policy to facilitate the establishment of a gender identity clinic in Brighton and Hove; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what information his Department holds on (a) the current waiting time following referral for a first appointment at Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic (GIC), (b) how many people are currently receiving treatment at that clinic and how long the average wait is between appointments; what assessment his Department has made of how many patients Charing Cross GIC can treat in a year according to best practice guidelines and within existing resources; what discussions he has had with the Chief Executive of NHS England on the steps necessary to increase provision of services for trans people; and if he will make a statement.

Norman Lamb: We are advised by NHS England that there are currently seven gender identity clinics (GICs) in England and three providers of gender reassignment surgery. The nearest GIC to Brighton and Hove is located in London. These GIC clinics have considerable experience of delivering this highly specialised service and are able to accept referrals from all over the United Kingdom. At present there are no plans to undertake a procurement exercise to increase the number of providers.
	NHS England report that waiting times for pre-surgical assessment at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust one of the three NHS England commissioned providers of gender surgery are currently running at around 12 months, compared to 10 months in 2013-14. The increase in waiting times is due to the increase in demand for the service nationally that has seen referrals increase from 195 in 2011-12 to 300 in 2013-14.
	Individual patient waits vary according to the needs of the patient. Currently, the average wait for surgery is just under a year from the point at which funding is confirmed.
	Information from the website of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust shows that there are currently 279 patients approved for this surgery and that it carried out 178 male to female gender reassignment operations in 2013-14.
	Following a change in staffing, Imperial appointed a new gender reassignment surgeon who will start performing gender reassignment surgeries in September 2014. As a temporary measure, the trust is referring a small number of patients who have waited longer than others to a private provider under a sub-contracting arrangement with that provider, Imperial retain responsibility for managing all patient pathways.
	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has published an update of the position on its website, which can be viewed at the following link:
	www.imperial.nhs.uk/aboutus/news/news_044629
	The trust is also sending this information directly to patients.
	These issues have not been the subject of discussions between Ministers and the chief executive of NHS England.

General Dental Council

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the Professional Standards Authority's Annual Performance Review of regulators relating to the General Dental Council.

Daniel Poulter: The Professional Standards Authority's laid its Annual Performance Review Report 2013-14 in Parliament on 26 June 2014. The Department has noted the report findings. It is now for the each independent regulatory body to reflect on their recommendations and take action. In the past, the Health Select Committee has used the Annual Performance Review Report to explore progress made against each recommendation with each regulatory body.

Gynaecology: Medical Treatments

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that the operation to remove fibroids by MR Guided Focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) be available on the NHS.

Jane Ellison: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for determining clinical commissioning policy (including the availability of, or eligibility for, NHS funded treatment) on fibroid treatments. Local CCGs decide on how to best use funding allocated to them, underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local health care needs.
	The Department is aware that in November 2011, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published Interventional Procedures Guidance [IPG413]: “Magnetic resonance image-guided transcutaneous focused ultrasound for uterine fibroids”.
	The Department expects CCGs to consider any relevant NICE guidance as they design services to meet the needs of patients.

Health Services

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when NHS England will conclude its review of specialised service commissioning;
	(2)  whether applications for specialised services which have previously been submitted to NHS England will be reviewed under the existing commissioning process or by the specialised commissioning taskforce.

Jane Ellison: NHS England established the specialised commissioning taskforce to make some immediate improvements to the way in which NHS England commissions specialised services, and to put commissioning arrangements on a stronger footing for the longer-term. The task force is not conducting a complete review of specialised commissioning, although there are some aspects of this work which will require some specific services or arrangements to be reviewed. The life of the task force was originally three months running from May to July 2014; this has now been extended to the end of October 2014.
	NHS England is bound to arrange the provision, to such extent as it considers necessary to meet all reasonable requirements, of those services that are prescribed in regulations for national commissioning by NHS England (SI 2012/2996, as amended). Any decisions made by NHS England on the national commissioning of prescribed specialised services are made within the statutory framework provided for by Ministers in accordance with the requirements laid down by Parliament in section 3B of the National Health Service Act 2006, as amended. Further information on the process for prescribing specialised services is contained in “Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group, Recommendations to Ministers, May 2014”. A copy has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/specialised-service-recommendations-to-ministers

Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who NHS England will consult as part of the review by the specialised commissioning task force; and whether (a) patients and (b) the public will have the opportunity to participate in the review.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has advised that the work of the specialised commissioning task force is not a wholesale review of specialised commissioning. The specialised commissioning task force was established in April 2014 in order to make some immediate improvements to the way in which NHS England commissions specialised services, and to put commissioning arrangements on a stronger footing for the longer-term. The task force comprises seven distinct work streams, which will focus on financial control in 2014-15, and planning for the 2015-16 commissioning round.
	There are aspects of the task force work which will require specific engagement appropriate and proportionate to the nature of the issue or service via the routes relevant to the topic. For example, there is engagement with clinical commissioning groups via the Commissioning Assembly on the future portfolio of specialised services. There is engagement via the Patient and Public Voice Assurance Group about a range of commissioning issues. This group acts as a forum for organisations and individuals representing patients of specialised services to contribute to the improvement of services and patient experience.

Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many clinical commissioning policies NHS England has published since April 2014; and how many such policies are pending;
	(2)  how many clinical commissioning policies are being considered by (a) clinical reference groups, (b) Programme of Care Boards, (c) the Rare Disease Advisory Group, (d) the Clinical Priorities Advisory Group, (e) the Directly Commissioned Services Committee and (f) the NHS England Board.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has published 53 clinical commissioning policies since April 2014. A further four are currently out to public consultation which will close on 17 September 2014.
	NHS England has advised that 65 clinical commissioning policies are currently being considered by clinical reference groups, and Programme of Care Boards.
	Clinical commissioning policies will be submitted to the Rare Disease Advisory Group and Clinical Priorities Advisory Group during August for consideration at their next meeting later in the year.
	No clinical commissioning policies are currently being considered by the Directly Commissioned Services Committee and the NHS England Board.

Health Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role NHS England plays in the development of advice given by the Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group to Ministers on which specialised services should be included in regulations setting out those services which NHS England must commission.

Norman Lamb: NHS England puts forward proposals to the Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group (PSSAG), and provides information to support the Group's considerations chiefly via its Clinical Reference Groups. NHS England also provides expert members of PSSAG in areas such as finance, informatics, medicine and nursing. Further information about NHS England's input to the process by which advice is prepared for Ministers is set out in the publication “Prescribed Specialised Services Advisory Group-Recommendations to Ministers” published on 2 May 2014, which includes a complete list of PSSAG members.
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/specialised-service-recommendations-to-ministers
	In addition, as required by section 3B of the National Health Service Act 2006 (as amended), NHS England is consulted before regulations are made by the Secretary of State.

Health Services: Older People

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to co-ordinate with the devolved Administrations to plan for the effects of an ageing population.

Norman Lamb: Health and care is generally a devolved issue for the devolved Administrations. None the less, the Department works with the devolved Administrations on matters of mutual interest, including the effects of an ageing population.

Health: Business

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations were approached by his Department to join the Responsibility Deal; which such organisations rejected joining the Deal; and what the reasons were for each such rejection.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not maintain information about those organisations who have been approached and reject joining the Deal, and the reasons for any rejection.

Homeopathy

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings Ministers his Department have held with (a) representatives of manufacturers of homeopathic medicines and (b) organisations representing homeopathic practitioners.

Jane Ellison: Ministers have had no recent meetings with either representatives of manufacturers of homeopathic medicines or organisations representing homeopathic practitioners.

Homeopathy

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Medical Officer on the efficacy of homeopathy.

Jane Ellison: The Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has had no recent discussions with the chief medical officer on the efficacy of homeopathy.

Hospital Beds

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost per night is of a bed in (a) an intensive therapy unit or high dependency unit, (b) a district general hospital, (c) a spinal cord injury centre and (d) a spinal cord injury centre for a ventilated spinal cord injured patient.

Jane Ellison: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Such information as is available is from reference costs, which are the average unit costs to national health service trusts and foundation trusts of providing defined services in a given financial year to NHS patients. Unit costs for in-patient care, including spinal cord injury, requiring the use of a hospital bed for at least one night are submitted per finished consultant episode rather than per night. Only unit costs for in-patient stays beyond the expected length of stay for each treatment are submitted per bed day. Unit costs for critical care, including in an intensive therapy unit or high dependency unit, are submitted per critical care bed day. This information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 National average unit costs of adult critical care, elective and non-elective care, and spinal cord injury care in England, 2012-13 
			  Unit cost per finished consultant episode4 Unit cost per excess bed day5 Unit cost per critical care bed day6 
			 Adult critical care1 — — 1,173 
			 In-patient care2 1,758 273 — 
			 Spinal cord injury care3 7,649 354 — 
			 1 National average adult critical care costs submitted in reference costs by all NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts that provided patient care in critical care units during 2012-13 give the nearest equivalent to the average cost per night of a bed in an intensive therapy unit or high dependency unit. They relate to parts of the patient’s hospital stay that require organ system support in a designated critical care bed. These are conventionally grouped into critical care areas, such as an intensive therapy unit or high dependency unit, but may include temporary, non-standard locations. 2 National average elective and non-elective in-patient costs submitted in reference costs by all NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts that admitted patients during 2012-13 give the nearest equivalent to the average cost per night of a bed in a district general hospital. No attempt has been made to distinguish between district general hospitals and other types of trust, such as specialist or teaching trusts. 3 National average elective and non-elective in-patient costs submitted in reference costs against treatment function code 323, spinal injuries, by the following eight trusts providing spinal cord injury centres in England give the nearest equivalent to the average cost per night of a bed in a spinal cord injury centre: (a) Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (b) Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (c) Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust (d) Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (e) South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (f) Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust (g) St George's Healthcare NHS Trust (h) The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 Reference costs for elective and non-elective in-patient episodes of care distinguish between the inlier unit cost below a statistically derived expected length of stay (known as a trim point) for a given treatment, and an excess bed day cost for each bed day over the trim point. Inlier unit costs cover the costs of active treatment and are submitted per finished consultant episode rather than per bed day. 5 Excess bed day costs are used to estimate the cost of an overnight stay in a hospital bed and generally include routine ward costs such as nursing, dressings, and blood tests, although they may also include the costs of active treatment where this continues beyond the trim point, especially for specialised services. 6 Adult critical care costs are submitted per critical care bed day. Source: Reference costs, Department of Health

Hospitals: Wi-fi

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to increase and improve the availability of (a) free and (b) chargeable wi-fi access for patients in NHS hospitals; and how many NHS hospitals in Sussex provide (i) free and (ii) chargeable wi-fi access for patients at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Daniel Poulter: The availability of free and chargeable wi-fi access for patients is a matter for local national health service organisations. There is no centrally collected information on the number of NHS hospitals in England that provide free and chargeable wireless internet access for patients.

Human Embryo Experiments

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what use materials were put under research licence R0152 according to each of the research data sheets submitted to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority by centre 0017 since 2009.

Jane Ellison: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that research licence R0152 was renewed in May 2014. The inspection report and minutes which set out the use to which materials were put under that licence are available on the HFEA's website at:
	http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/ShowPDF.aspx?ID=5591&merge=1

In Vitro Fertilisation

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many eggs are required before the research to enable (a) pro-nuclear transfer and (b) maternal spindle transfer is considered safe for treatment in women;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Congleton of 7 April 2014, Official Report, columns 42-3W, on in vitro fertilisation, what estimate he has made of the number of eggs that would be required annually for (a) pro-nuclear transfer and (b) maternal spindle transfer every year.

Jane Ellison: There is no set number of eggs required for use before the research to enable pro-nuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer can be considered safe for use in the treatment of women.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has advised that it has made no estimate of the number of eggs that would be required annually for pro-nuclear transfer and maternal spindle transfer.

Infant Foods

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has an infant feeding coordinator.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not employ an infant feeding co-ordinator, but works collaboratively with the National Infant Feeding Steering Group, which brings together key partners including Public Health England, NHS England and UNICEF UK.
	In December 2013, the Department provided £80,000 to UNICEF for two projects to maintain and develop the National Infant Feeding Network and to promote care and compassion through infant feeding as part of universal midwifery and health visiting services, including those services delivered in neonatal units and children's centres.

Land

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much land his Department has released for the purpose of building new homes since May 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The Department, including the national health service, has contributed surplus land capable of delivering 10,099 homes (including affordable homes) to the Public Sector Land Programme. The NHS is continuing to rationalise its estate, delivering cost savings, better value for money for the taxpayer and putting the money into patient services.

Legal Costs

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on legal fees since May 2010.

Daniel Poulter: Spend on legal fees by all financial years starting from May 2010 to 31 March 2014 is contained in the following table.
	
		
			 Total spend on legal services fees since May 2010 to 31 March 2014 
			  £ 
			 2010-11 59,044.66 
			 2011-12 187,762.28 
			 2012-13 2,465,113.11 
			 2013-14 802,454.01 
			 Total 3,514,374.06

Lung Diseases

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on research into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in each of the last three years.

Daniel Poulter: Expenditure by the Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through research programmes, research centres and units, and research fellowships on research on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 0.1 
			 2012-13 0.3 
			 2013-14 0.6 
		
	
	Total spend by the NIHR on research on this disease is higher than the figures shown because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.

Lung Diseases

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce deaths from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis;
	(2)  what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that the 2013 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis guidelines, drawn up by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are fully implemented;
	(3)  how much funding his Department provided for awareness-raising work for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in (a) 2011, (b) 2012 and (c) 2013;
	(4)  when the allocation of interstitial lung disease specialist centres will be completed; and when his Department will publish the location of these centres.

Jane Ellison: Reducing mortality and improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease is a key priority for this Government. It is specifically covered in both the Public Health and NHS Outcome Frameworks. NHS England is working to improve the quality of NHS services, and will be held to account through the mandate.
	The responsibility for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease (ILD) sits under the umbrella of specialised commissioning within NHS England. It has published a service specification for ILD at:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/a14-respiratory-inters-lung.pdf
	Pages 3 and 4 of this specification set out the overall aim of the specialist service and how a standardised approach to treatment across the country should be delivered.
	In line with the implementation of all specialised commissioning specifications, NHS England is undertaking a compliance programme assessing all current providers of ILD services against a set of key requirements from the specification.
	Area teams are now working with providers to commission the services and once arrangements have been agreed, then the list of ILD centres will be made public. We expect this exercise to be completed later in the year.
	In April 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published a technology appraisal advising on the use of Pirfenidone as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In June 2013, NICE published its first clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of IPF. The use of other treatments for the management of ILD are also covered by the NICE guidelines. We expect commissioners to have regard to NICE guidelines when commissioning services.
	NHS England funds the treatment of patients with Pirfenidone, in line with the NICE appraisal, from centres that are contracted to provide specialised services for patients with ILD.
	There were no awareness raising campaigns specifically targeted at IFP in the specified time frame. Though IPF was not directly referenced, Public Health England recently ran a local pilot campaign in Oldham and Rochdale to raise awareness among the public about the importance of visiting their general practitioner with symptoms of breathlessness.

Mass Media: Subscriptions

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what subscriptions to (a) magazines and (b) television channels his Department funds.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not currently subscribe to any television channels.
	The Department subscribes to 174 titles of magazines and journals (in print or electronic format) in 2014. The specific titles are shown in the following list:
	African Voice
	Age and Ageing-Print and Internet
	Ageing and Society-Print and Internet
	Alcohol and Alcoholism-Internet
	American Economic Association-All 7 Journals
	American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Supplements
	American Journal of Epidemiology and Epidemiological Reviews-Print and Internet
	Asian Leader
	Best
	BJOG-an International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology-Internet
	BMA News
	British Journal of Cancer and Supplements
	British Journal of General Practice-Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
	British Journal of Healthcare Management-Print and Internet
	British Journal of Hospital Medicine-Internet
	British Journal of Mental Health Nursing-Internet
	British Journal of Nutrition-Internet
	British Journal of Occupational Therapy
	British Journal of Psychiatry-Internet
	British Journal of Psychology-Internet
	British Journal of Social Work-Internet
	British Journal of Surgery-Internet
	British Medical Bulletin-Internet
	Building
	Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics-Internet
	Chemist and Druggist-Print and Internet
	Child and Adolescent Mental Health-Internet
	Clinical Medicine-Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London
	Clinical Risk-Internet
	Coaching at Work-Internet
	Community Care Market News
	Community Dental Health-Internet
	Community Practitioner
	Construction News-London
	Current Medical Research and Opinion-Internet
	Daily Jang-International Edition
	Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin-Print and Internet
	EU Food Law-Internet and Print
	Eastern Eye
	Economics Package-Print and Internet
	Economist-UK Edition-Multiple User Access-Internet
	Estates Gazette and Directory
	European Journal of Cancer and Supplements
	European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
	European Journal of Health Economics Print and Internet
	European Journal of Public Health-Print and Internet
	European Voice-Internet
	Evaluation-Internet
	Expert Review of Vaccines-Internet
	FT.Com-Internet
	Family Practice-Internet
	Fiscal Studies-Print and Internet
	GM Journal
	Global Health Promotion-Internet
	Grocer-Print and Internet
	Health Care Analysis-Enhanced Access-Internet
	Health Care Management Science-Enhanced Access-Internet
	Health Care Parliamentary Monitor
	Health Economics-Print and Internet
	Health Economics Policy and Law-Internet
	Health Education Journal-Internet
	Health Education Research-Internet
	Health Informatics Journal-Internet
	Health Information and Libraries Journal-Print and Internet
	Health Policy-Internet
	Health Policy and Planning-Print and Internet
	Health Promotion International-Internet
	Health Service Journal-Print and Internet
	Health Services Management Research-Internet
	Health and Social Care in the Community-Print and Internet
	Healthcare Market News
	House Magazine and Westminster Weekly Business
	Human Resource Management Journal-Internet
	Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology-Print and Internet
	Inside Housing
	International Dental Journal-Internet
	International Journal for Quality in Health Care-Internet
	International Journal of Care Coordination-Internet
	International Journal of Epidemiology-Internet
	International Journal of Health Services
	International Journal of Mental Health Promotion-Internet
	International Journal of Obesity
	International Social Science Journal-Internet
	JCH-Journal of Communication in Healthcare-Internet
	Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety-Internet
	Journal of Advanced Nursing-Internet
	Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health-Internet
	Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care-Internet
	Journal of Health Economics-Print and Internet
	Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law-Internet
	Journal of Health Services Research and Policy-Internet
	Journal of Health Visiting-Internet
	Journal of Hospital Infection
	Journal of Medical Genetics-Internet
	Journal of Medical Screening-Print and Internet
	Journal of Mental Health Training Education and Practice-Print and Internet
	Journal of Nutrition-Single Site-Internet
	Journal of Political Economy-Print and Internet
	Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing-Internet
	Journal of Public Health-Internet
	Journal of Public Mental Health-Print and Internet
	Journal of Public Policy-Internet
	Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare-Internet
	Journal of the American Dental Association-Print and Internet
	Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine-Print and Internet
	LGCplus.com-Local Government Chronicle-Internet
	Lancet Oncology
	MIMS-Monthly Index of Medical Specialities-UK-Print and Internet
	MJ-Municipal Journal
	Medical Journal of Australia-Internet
	Mental Health Review Journal-Print and Internet
	Mental Health Today-Print and Internet
	Mental Health and Substance Use-Dual Diagnosis-Internet
	Midwives and Evidence Based Midwifery
	Muslim News
	Muslim Weekly
	New England Journal of Medicine
	New Literature on Old Age
	New Statesman
	Nursing Standard-Print and Internet
	Nursing Times and NT Plus
	Nutrition and Health-Internet
	Obesity Reviews-Print and Internet
	Occupational Medicine-Internet
	Oxford Review of Economic Policy-Internet
	PRWeek-UK Edition-Print and Premium-Internet
	Parliament Magazine
	Pediatrics-Print and Internet
	Perspectives in Public Health-Print and Internet
	Pharmaceutical Journal-Print and Internet
	Pharmacoeconomics-Internet
	Pick Me Up
	Planning
	Policy and Politics-Internet
	Practising Midwife
	Prima Baby
	Privacy and Data Protection-Print and E-Mail
	Private Eye
	Project Manager Today
	Property Wee-Internet
	Prospect-Internet
	Psychological Medicine-Internet
	Psychologist
	Public Administration-Internet
	Public Finance
	Public Health Nutrition-Internet
	Public Money and Management-Internet
	Pulse
	Quality in Primary Care-Internet
	Radiation Research
	Records Management Journal-Internet
	Regenerative Medicine-Internet
	Research Fortnight
	Review of Economics and Statistics-Internet
	Risk Analysis-Internet
	Safety and Health Practitioner
	Saga Magazine
	Science in Parliament
	Scrip-Print and Internet
	Scrip Regulatory Affairs-Internet
	Social Science and Medicine-Internet
	Spectator
	Statistics in Medicine-Internet
	System Dynamics Review-Internet
	Third Sector-Charities-Voluntary Organisations-Social Enterprise
	Tips and Advice Internet
	Top Sante-Health and Beauty
	Training Journal
	Veterinary Record and In Practice-both Print and Internet
	Violence Against Women-Internet
	Voice B57
	Woman's Weekly
	Woman's own
	Yours

Medical Treatments

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the highly specialised technologies process on appraisal of new drugs and treatments by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence;
	(2)  what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have made of the effectiveness of NICE's approach to appraising highly specialised drugs.

Norman Lamb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr O'Brien) on 26 June 2014, Official Report, column 281W.

Medical Treatments

John Glen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in implementation of the Coalition Programme to ensure that all patients can access the drugs and treatments their doctors think they need.

Norman Lamb: Improving access to effective medicines continues to be a priority for the Government.
	Patients have the right to drugs and treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for use in the national health service, where their doctor believes they are clinically appropriate.
	Where a cancer drug is not routinely funded by the NHS, patients may be able to access it through the Cancer Drugs Fund. Since October 2010, over 50,000 patients in England have benefited from the Fund, which was established to help cancer patients access the drugs recommended by their clinician.
	The 2014 Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme agreement supports the NHS by ensuring that the branded medicines bill covered by the Scheme stays within affordable limits, while patients’ access to NICE recommended drugs will be protected.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the written statement of 22 November 2014, Official Report, column 65WS, on the Medical Innovation (No. 2) Bill, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to remove barriers to medical innovation, along the lines set out in that statement.

Daniel Poulter: My noble Friend Lord Saatchi has reintroduced the Medical Innovation Bill in the current parliamentary session as a private peer’s Bill, which had its second reading on 27 June. The Government is supportive of the principles of this Bill, but believes it is necessary to amend the Bill to ensure it does not:
	put patients at risk;
	deter good and responsible innovation;
	place an undue bureaucratic burden on the national health service; or
	expose doctors to a risk of additional liabilities.
	The Bill will proceed through Parliament in the usual way.

Members: Correspondence

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the right hon. Member for Chelmsford can expect a response from the chief executive of NHS England to his letter of 30 May 2014 on his constituent Mr John McPhee.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has confirmed that my right hon. Friend’s correspondence is currently being actioned and apologise for not providing a response sooner.
	The matters raised by the constituent are currently the subject of an ongoing complaint investigation with the Essex Area Team of NHS England. NHS England can reassure my right hon. Friend that a complaints manager has been in contact with the constituent (who has also raised a complaint direct with NHS England) to discuss their concerns and agree a way forward for resolution.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many training places for mental health talking therapists were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in each of the last five years as part of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme.

Norman Lamb: Currently we do not centrally hold data on the number of training places commissioned for mental health talking therapists.
	The following table shows the number of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) therapists trained over the last five years, reflecting the needs of a rapidly expanding service, especially to meet demand in the early years.
	
		
			  Total numbers trained 
			 2008-09 997 
			 2009-10 1,731 
			 2010-11 1,140 
			 2011-12 538 
			 2012-13 528 
			 2013-14 635 
			 Totals 5,569 
			 Source: NHS England 
		
	
	Health Education England is working with NHS England, to ensure that there are sufficient therapists and other staff with the right skills to support the delivery of the IAPT programme.

Mental Health Services: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Lancashire residents were admitted to a mental health unit that was not their nearest facility in urgent or emergency situations because of a lack of beds since April 2012; how many such patients lived in West Lancashire constituency; and how much has been spent on private sector provision for such patients.

Norman Lamb: The data are not collected centrally.
	Information on out of area placements for mental health patients in Lancashire and the costs of private sector provision for such patients may be obtained from NHS England’s Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral Area Team.
	Patients may be referred out of area for specialised mental health treatment for a number of reasons. In all cases, places will be found in the nearest possible facility.

Mental Illness: Homicide

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to support NHS bodies in assisting the families of those killed by people suffering from mental illness;
	(2)  when the new Single Operating Model for investigating mental health homicides for the NHS in England will become operational;
	(3)  if he will issue new guidance to NHS Trusts on the timely provision of information to victims’ families following a mental health homicide.

Norman Lamb: The NHS Serious Incident Framework issued by NHS England in March 2013 updated the National Framework for reporting and learning from serious incidents requiring investigation. It explains the responsibilities for actions and investigations following serious incidents, these include incidents where there may have been shortcomings in NHS-funded care prior to homicides committed by those receiving mental health care services.
	The NHS Serious Incident Framework is currently under review, to improve alignment and consistency of serious incident management and to provide further clarity to the NHS about principles, processes and expectations in response to serious incidents. As part of this work, NHS England is keen to develop systems to ensure that investigations are managed in a robust and transparent way. This includes ensuring that the carers and family members of both victims and perpetrators are supported from the onset, including being fully involved in the investigation process and the subsequent action planning and response.
	The framework will be published in autumn 2014 and will be implemented by spring 2015.

National Breastfeeding Week

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department allocated to national breastfeeding week in each year since 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The last year for which the Department provided funding for national breastfeeding week was 2010, when the contribution was £110,000.
	Since 2011 the Department has collaborated with key partners including the Royal College of Midwives, Public Health England and UNICEF UK to promote national breastfeeding week through material and information on the NHS Choices website that can be used locally.

NHS England

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on the (a) prioritisation of NHS funding and (b) that body's policy with regards to its consultation with external stakeholders.

Daniel Poulter: The Government’s Mandate to NHS England sets the overall objectives for the national health service in England. It is then for NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to decide how to prioritise funding to meet those objectives.
	NHS England has responsibility for CCG allocations and these decisions have been taken independently of government. The allocations formula is based on independent academic research and the independent advice of a committee of experts, the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation.
	Officials from the Department meet regularly with those from NHS England to talk to them on an ongoing basis on a range of issues relating to the NHS, including finance. Likewise, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) meets regularly with both the chief executive and the chair of NHS England.
	NHS England Publications Gateway function was established on 1 April 2013 to ensure that all NHS England national communications to NHS commissioners are fit for purpose in terms of content and policy governance. Review and approval from the Patients and Public Partnerships Lead and from the national Stakeholder Team for all publications is mandatory so that consultation proposals, any stakeholder engagement (internal and external), and responses accord with principles of better regulation and existing Government Code of Practice on Consultation. This is to ensure that the NHS England's extensive consultation exercises and responses follow best practice in terms of public consultation and engagement.
	The prioritisation of funding was published on the NHS England website for the NHS England board meeting in December 2013:
	http://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/bm-item7.pdf
	The board paper entitled “Allocation of resources to NHS England and the commissioning sector for 2014/15 and 2015/16” summarises the consultation at paragraph 4:
	“In light of NHS England’s commitment to transparency and the significant continuing interest in allocations policy reflected in correspondence and FOI enquiries, the review team has held four regional workshops on allocations over the last few months which have been attended by nearly 400 representatives from CCGs, local authorities and providers. There has also been ongoing dialogue with the Commissioning Assembly, and a Finance and Planning subgroup has recently been formed to collaborate with NHS England’s finance leadership on the linked topics of allocations and the proposed strategic planning programme”.

NHS: Procurement

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and which private sector companies awarded NHS contracts have subcontracted work from NHS hospitals and surgeries to prisons in England; and which prisons are involved in such contracts.

Norman Lamb: This information is not collected centrally by NHS England.

NHS: Sexual Offences

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims of sexual abuse within the NHS were made to the NHS Litigation Authority in each year since 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The number of claims notified to the NHS Litigation Authority which have been identified as relating to sexual abuse within the national health service in each year since 2010 are as follows:
	
		
			 Financial Year Number of claims (clinical and non-clinical) 
			 2010-11 44 
			 2011-12 15 
			 2012-13 23 
			 2013-14 50 
			 2014-15 4

Pay

Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials employed by his Department, of each grade, have remained at that grade since 2010 but received a pay rise; and how much of a rise each such person at each such grade has received.

Daniel Poulter: The information available within proportional cost limits is presented in the following three tables:
	
		
			 Table 1: Numbers of staff by grade, as at 31 March 2014, who have remained at their current grade since 31 March 2010 
			 Grade Headcount 
			 Administrative Officer (AO) 71 
			 Executive Officer (EO) 224 
			 Higher Executive Officer (HEO) 176 
			 Senior Executive Officer (SEO) 240 
			 Faststream 8 
			 Grade 7 292 
			 Grade 6 143 
			 SCS 1 75 
			 SCS 2 16 
			   
			 Total 1,245 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Pay awards by grade 
			 Grade 2010-111 2011-122 2012-132 2013-143 
			 AO 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £210 
			 EO 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £250 
			 HEO 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £300 
			 SEO 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £380 
			 Faststream 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £300 
			 Grade 7 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £480 
			 Grade 6 3 to 4.5% 0 0 £630 
			 SCS 1 0% 0 0 £700 
			 SCS 2 0% 0 0 £900 
			 1 The 2010-11 pay award for staff below SCS was based on a combination of the individual's performance assessment and their position in pay range, varying from 3% to 4.5%. The SCS did not receive a pay award. 2 In 2011-12 and 2012-13, there was no pay award due to the public sector pay freeze, with the exception of staff paid less than £21,000 who received a £250 cash uplift. 3 In 2013-14 staff received a cash base pay award, equivalent to 1% of the median pay for the grade. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Average pay increases by grade, over the period of 31 March 2010 to 31 March 2014, for staff who remained at their grade over that period. 
			 Grade Average pay increase (£) Average percentage pay increase (%) 
			 AO 1,104 5.2 
			 EO 1,065 4.0 
			 HEO 1,296 4.0 
			 SEO 1,783 4.6 
			 Faststream 1,551 5.0 
			 Grade 7 2,342 4.6 
			 Grade 6 2,821 4.4 
			 SCS 1 741 1.0 
			 SCS 2 913 0.9 
			    
			 Overall 1,713 4.1

Postnatal Depression

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training health visitors receive to (a) detect, (b) refer and (c) support women with Postnatal Depression.

Daniel Poulter: The additional 4,200 health visitors being delivered by 2015 will be offered training so they can detect the early signs of postnatal depression and ensure all women get support during and after birth.
	In addition to their core training, health visitors are able to enhance their skills and knowledge in the context of their specific roles. Earlier this year, we commissioned the training of 375 perinatal mental health champions who have now been trained across England. The perinatal champions have responsibility for cascading their training in their local areas—to facilitate the spread of knowledge and practice among colleagues. In addition to the training of champions, all health visitors are able to access perinatal mental health e-learning modules.
	The Maternal Mental Health Pathway1 was developed by health visitors and midwives and is a woman and family-centred approach that facilitates good communication between all those involved in care. It includes auditable referral systems/pathways between acute, primary and specialist care from antenatal period through to the postnatal period.
	1Published by the Department of Health, August 2012

Pregnant Women

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the trial publication online of the red book for expectant mothers.

Daniel Poulter: The Personal Child Health Record, commonly known as the red book, is not a departmental publication but has been part of children's services in the national health service for the last 20 years. Its content and format are overseen by a multi-disciplinary group hosted by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). The RCPCH is working in partnership with Sitekit Ltd, the developers of the online red book, and will undertake an assessment of the product on its completion.

Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies (i) have let and (ii) plan to let that are worth (A) between £1 million and £3 million and (B) over £3 million since 2010; how much his Department has spent on monitoring each such contract; and how many officials in his Department monitor each contract.

Daniel Poulter: A search to identify the proportion and value of the Department’s contracts that have been let or planned to be let and spend on monitoring these contracts would incur a disproportionate cost. Information on the value of all contracts let cannot be provided without further detailed analysis being carried out.
	Under this Government’s transparency programme, for all contracts over £10,000 the Department now additionally publishes details of these on Contracts Finder which is available at:
	www.gov.uk/contracts-finder
	Of the Department’s Executive agencies, these are:
	1. Public Health England (PHE)—Contracts let between £1 million and £3 million since 2010: 6, Contracts let over £3 million since 2010: 10, Contracts planned to be let between £1 million and £3 million: 0. Contracts planned to be let over £3 million: 1.
	PHE have only existed since 1 April 2013 and do not maintain records to show the precise amount of time spent monitoring contracts as a range of factors contribute to the actual time spent on this activity.
	2. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency—Contracts let between £1 million and £3 million per year since 2010: 1, Contracts let over £3 million per year since 2010: 3, Contracts planned to be let between £1 million and £3 million per year : 2, Contracts planned to be let over £3 million: 1. The agency does not measure the cost of tendering, implementing and managing its contracts. This task is undertaken by the agency’s procurement team together with the contracts end users. The procurement team consist of three individuals (Grade 7, senior executive officer and higher executive officer), they have over 300 contracts on record with a total contract value of £160 million.
	Of the Department’s non-departmental public bodies, these are:
	3. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority confirm no information held.
	4. Human Tissue Authority confirm no information held.
	5. Monitor—Contracts let between £1 million and £3 million since 2010: 11, Contracts let over £3 million since 2010: 2, Contracts planned to be let between £1 million and £3 million: 3. Contracts planned to be let over £3 million: None. Spend on monitoring each contract: average of £16,000 per contract, comprising the cost of the estimated staff time for each contract. Number of officials monitoring each contract: average of 0.2 FTE per contract.
	6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) confirmed since 2010, it has let 2 contracts worth between £1 million and £3 million and 16 contracts that are over £3 million. In addition, from the present time to nine months from now, NICE plan to let 3 contracts worth between £1 million and £3 million and 2 contracts over £3 million.
	NICE does not hold information on how much is spent monitoring each contract. Each contract is assigned to a designated contract manager. However, this does not equate to the whole time equivalent of the post as each contract makes up a small part of a much broader role.
	7. NHS England—NHS England’s scheme of delegation authorises area directors (the budget holders) to negotiate and sign contracts and there is no central contract database. Across England there are tens of thousands of contracts which would need to be reviewed in order to collate the information being requested. Even calculated using the lowest estimates (10,000 contracts each taking one minute to locate and review) we estimate that it would take NHS England 167 hours to compile this information. This would therefore entail a disproportionate cost.
	8. Care Quality Commission—Contracts let between £1 million and £3 million since 2010: 23, Contracts let over £3 million since 2010: 5, Contracts planned to be let between £1 million and £3 million: Nil, Contracts planned to be let over £3 million: 2.
	9. Health and Social Care information Centre (HSCIC)—confirmed since 2010, it has let 13 contracts worth between £1 million and £3 million and 9 contracts that are over £3 million. HSCIC further plan to let 3 contracts worth between £1 million and £3 million and 4 contracts over £3 million.
	These contracts are managed by multidisciplinary teams throughout the organisation, including procurement, finance, technical, estates and project management teams and a full breakdown for each contract is not available. All contracts above are monitored by a team of 17 procurement colleagues costing £655,153 (2013-14 figures). However, this team also oversees a significant number of sub £1 million contracts across the organisation.
	Note:
	The contract numbers are from information readily available. HSCIC are currently working to build a more comprehensive contracts database to better and more accurately answer similar queries in the future. These numbers do not include contracts which HSCIC or legacy organisations have/plan to let on behalf of the Department or NHS England.

Procurement

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14.

Daniel Poulter: As part of the Department’s transparency programme, any spend over £25,000 is available on the Department’s website. Since January 2011, all contracts over £10,000 in value are published on Contracts Finder.
	www.contractsfinder.co.uk/

Public Opinion

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) his Department, (b) NHS England and (c) Public Health England spent on opinion polling and focus groups in 2013-14.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has funded opinion polling and focus groups, but extracting the amount of spend could be done only at disproportionate cost.
	NHS England’s complete spend can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Figures for separately identified work programmes are available in the following table.
	
		
			 Cost centre Actual expenditure 2013-14 (£) 
			 Survey Of Cancer Patients Exp 421,142 
			 Bereaved Voices Patient Survey 286,269 
			 NHS Staff Survey 222,327 
			 GP Patient Survey 3,678,676 
			 Total 4,608,414 
		
	
	Public Health England spent an overall £54,000 on opinion polling groups and a total of £4,350 on focus groups in 2013-14.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individual funding requests per indication were received by NHS England for radiotherapy treatment in the last financial year; and how many requests, per indication, were refused by NHS England.

Norman Lamb: Since April 2013, radiotherapy treatment has been planned and paid for nationally by NHS England.
	NHS England has informed us that information on the number of individual funding requests made to NHS England is not currently available. NHS England is improving its data collection mechanisms and aims to improve availability of such information in the future.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will request NHS England to authorise the use of Gamma Knife for NHS patients at University College Hospital London;
	(2)  for what reasons NHS England is instructing hospitals with patients presenting as clinically urgent to treat such patients with innovative radiotherapy at the hospital’s financial risk while it decides whether to fund the patient; and how hospitals which have followed that instruction receive reimbursement for that expenditure if NHS England subsequently refuses to fund the treatment.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is an independent arm’s length body and since 1 April 2013, it has been responsible for commissioning all radiotherapy services, including stereotactic radiosurgery. Gamma Knife treatment has been available to all patients who meet clinical criteria, without the need for individual funding requests, under NHS England’s national clinical commissioning policies for specialised services.
	University College London Hospitals is not contracted by NHS England, nor was it contracted by former primary care trusts, to provide Gamma Knife services. It is for this reason that national health service patients cannot normally be treated at this facility. Instead, NHS patients requiring Gamma Knife treatment should be treated by the Gamma Knife services commissioned by the NHS, that have been shown to meet NHS England service specifications. These can be accessed by patients in London without a waiting time, fully maintaining the continuity of their care and normally with the same consultant and clinical team.
	All patients need to be treated in accordance with the prescribed clinical pathways and in line with contractual agreements with providers.

Radiotherapy

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which senior medical and administrative staff responsible for the operation of the Gamma Knife Centre at St Bartholomew's Hospital Trust are employees of (a) the trust and (b) the Hospital Corporation of America;
	(2)  what contractual arrangement is in place between the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) and St Bartholomew's Hospital Trust regarding (a) ownership of the Gamma Knife and (b) leases that HCA may have in relation to the property;
	(3)  how much St Bartholomew's Hospital Trust invested in the establishment of its Gamma Knife Centre in 2009; what the source of such funding was; and how much of that investment has since been recouped;
	(4)  what the revenue division is between the Hospital Corporation of America and St Bartholomew's Hospital Trust London for fees charged to NHS England for treating NHS patients on the Gamma Knife housed in St Bartholomew's Hospital.

Jane Ellison: We are advised that three senior neurosurgery consultants are responsible for the Gamma Knife operation at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, along with one neuro interventional radiologist and two clinical oncologists. All are employed by Barts Health NHS Trust, and are overseen by the Clinical Director for Neurosciences and the Group Director for Emergency Care and Acute Medicine, both of whom are clinicians.
	HCA employs one senior administrator, the Acting Chief Operating Officer for the Harley Street Clinic, along with the physicist and nursing staff and an administration co-ordinator who work in the Gamma Knife centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
	We are advised that HCA owns the Gamma Knife based at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and that HCA pays a rental fee to Barts Health NHS Trust.
	We understand that, as the Gamma Knife was purchased by HCA, St Bartholomew’s Hospital (then part of Barts and The London NHS Trust) incurred minimal set-up costs for the establishment of the service in 2009. This included costs for associated building work to accommodate the facility.
	Gamma Knife surgery is funded by NHS England as the commissioner for all specialist services. We are advised that Barts Health NHS Trust receives approximately £9,200 per patient from NHS England and that HCA charges Barts Health £7,310 per patient treated by the Gamma Knife facility at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
	If the hon. Member wishes to obtain further information about the Gamma Knife facility at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, he may wish to contact Barts Health NHS Trust directly.

Respiratory System

Stephen McPartland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health's report on respiratory deaths; and if he will ask NHS England to issue a formal response to that report.

Jane Ellison: NHS England has assessed the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Respiratory Health’s report on respiratory deaths. It has already taken action in respect of several of the recommendations. For example, it has put forward asthma as one of the priority areas for consideration for a national clinical audit. It is also exploring scope for improving the provision of asthma action plans as part of a programme of improvement work around the care of children with asthma. This is being taken forward in partnership with the Strategic Clinical Networks.

Social Services: North West

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adults with (a) autism and (b) learning disabilities accessed care and support under the Fair Access to Care Standards eligibility criteria in (i) Preston constituency, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) North West England since 2010.

Norman Lamb: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) does not collect any data on the number of adults with autism accessing care and support under the Fair Access to Care Services eligibility criteria nor does it collect any data on the number of adults with learning disabilities accessing care and support in the Fair Access to Care Services eligibility criteria.
	The revised guidance ‘Prioritising need in the context of Putting People First: A whole system government approach to eligibility for social care’ which came into effect in April 2010, replaces the Fair Access to Care Services guidance issued by the Department in 2003. A copy of the revised guidance has already been placed in the Library.
	HSCIC has been able to provide the number of clients with learning disabilities receiving services each year since 2010 as follows:
	
		
			 Number of Learning Disability Services Users receiving services provided or commissioned by a Council with Social Services Responsibilities 
			  2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Total 
			 Lancashire 3,475 3,520 3,405 3,025 13,425 
			 North West England 20,670 20,660 20,555 20,155 82,040

Spinal Injuries

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many beds in each UK spinal cord injury centre have been ring fenced for the treatment of spinal cord injured readmissions or outpatients in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many beds in each UK spinal cord injury centre are ring fenced for the exclusive treatment of spinal cord injured readmissions or outpatients;
	(3)  if he will investigate the alleged misallocation of the specialist spinal injury beds at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the use by non-spinal cord injury patients.

Jane Ellison: NHS England’s Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) service specification clearly sets out what providers must have in place to offer evidence-based, safe and effective services. It sets a core requirement that each specialised SCI Centre (SCIC) can demonstrate they have a minimum of 20 beds dedicated exclusively for the treatment and rehabilitation of SCI patients. Specialised SCI Services encompass all activity for SCI patients provided by the host trust of the SCIC, including any readmission or attendance for SCI-related care, wherever the treatment is located in the trust. A copy of the specification can be found at the following link:
	www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/d13-spinal-cord-0414.pdf
	NHS England is aware that a number of beds in one ward at Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries unit are being used as escalation beds by medical specialties to assist with patient flow. It is planned for these beds to re-open as specialist spinal beds from September 2014.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many awaydays his Department has held for officials in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date; and what the cost was of each such event.

Daniel Poulter: The Department is committed to developing its staff and equipping them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their work. Awaydays and other similar team based development activities make a contribution to such development.
	This type of development activity is typically arranged by individual teams in the Department. No central records of these events are kept, so to collect this information from the Department’s directorates would incur disproportionate costs.

Training

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on what (a) media training and (b) social media training for (i) him and (ii) Ministers in his Department since May 2010.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has spent £587.50 on media training for Ministers since May 2010.

Universal Credit

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2014, Official Report, column 712W, on universal credit, how many claimants will be able to access free prescriptions, eye tests and dental care once universal credit has been fully rolled out.

Norman Lamb: The Government intends that broadly the same number of individuals will be entitled to free prescriptions, free eye tests and free dental care, via universal credit as are entitled via current qualifying benefits or tax credits. There are roughly 6 million people in England currently on these benefits, and consequently entitled to free prescriptions, free eye tests and free dental care.

Universal Credit

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 July 2014, Official Report, column 668W, on universal credit, what definition he uses for lowest earning families; and what criteria he uses to assess members of this category.

Daniel Poulter: Healthy Start currently supports approximately half a million pregnant women and children under four in families claiming income based benefits and tax credits. Our intention is to ensure that a broadly similar number, and range, of universal credit families will qualify for Healthy Start in future. We are currently discussing with the Department for Work and Pensions the options for achieving this, while also ensuring that the solution is simple, fair, and easy to understand for families.

Wheelchairs

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on wheelchairs and wheelchair vouchers by each clinical commissioning group in each of the last four years.

Norman Lamb: Information on spending on wheelchairs and wheelchair vouchers by each clinical commissioning group is not held centrally. Information on spending on wheelchairs and wheelchair vouchers by primary care trusts prior to 31 March 2013 is not held centrally.

World Health Organisation

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of the World Health Organisation budget was contributed by the Government in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what the sterling value of that contribution was;
	(2)  what proportion of the UK contribution to the World Health Organisation budget is counted towards the Government’s target of contributing 0.7 per cent of gross national product to international development.

Jane Ellison: The total World Health Organisation (WHO) revenue for 2013 was $2614 million; the United Kingdom contributed $312.2 million of that, which represented 11.9% of the WHO’s budget. The UK total contribution comprised of $30.7 million, assessed contributions and $281.5 million, voluntary contributions. This is around 185 million in sterling. The total UK contribution to WHO in 2013 also includes funding to WHO hosted partnerships such as Stop TB partnership, partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and Roll Back Malaria partnership.
	All of this UK funding contributes to the Government’s 0.7% international development target.

World Health Organisation

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what formula determines the proportion of the World Health Organisation annual budget that should be contributed by each member state government; and when that formula was last updated.

Jane Ellison: The proportion of assessed contribution, the amount the United Kingdom is required to pay to the World Health Organization (WHO), which excludes any additional voluntary contributions, is based on the United Nations (UN) scale of assessments. The Government believes that UN member states should share fair and balanced financial responsibility for supporting international institutions through “capacity to pay”, as their national economies develop and presses for reform to this end. In 2012 the UK successfully negotiated a reduction in our rate of contribution to the UN Regular Budget, falling from 6.6% to 5.2%. This generated savings of around £100 million a year for HM Government through linkages between the scale rate for the Regular Budgets and those used to calculate member states’ contributions to the budgets of many other UN bodies, including the WHO. This was applied to the UK’s assessed contribution to WHO, with effect from 2014, the start of the current biennium.

World Health Organisation

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what audit has taken place in each of the last five financial years of the extent to which the uses to which the UK contribution to the World Health Organisation budget has been put have met Government objectives; and what those objectives were.

Jane Ellison: The World Health Organization (WHO) is audited every year by an external auditor; their accounts have been unqualified for the last five years. The United Kingdom, as all member states, has oversight of WHO through the governing body meetings; this oversight function has increased from May 2014, by the UK becoming a member of the Executive Board and the Programme Budget and Administration Committee. The UK has participated fully in the process to agree the priorities of WHO, most recently agreeing the general programme of work for 2014-19 and the programme budget 2014-15, which have included action on our priority areas such as on antimicrobial resistance, malaria, and reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.

Written Questions

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on responding to parliamentary questions where the subject file or letter is within the scope of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Daniel Poulter: I refer the hon. Member to the guidance on drafting answers to parliamentary questions on
	www.gov.uk
	available at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance
	The guidance makes clear that Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public and only withhold information where its disclosure would not be in the public interest. Such public interest would be determined with the relevant legislation in mind (Freedom of Information, Data Protection and the Official Secrets Acts etc).